


Grand Hero? Battle

by SplattifyingAgent2



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Demonic Possession, Established Relationship, Exorcisms, F/M, Family Reunions, Love Confessions, Minor Character Death, Near Death Experiences, but they're either just mentions or they don't have enough lines, clever use of game mechanics, disregard of other game mechanics, feels like a hospital drama for a bit, mediocre fight scenes, there's other characters than the ones listed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2019-02-28
Packaged: 2019-05-26 18:02:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 38,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15006344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SplattifyingAgent2/pseuds/SplattifyingAgent2
Summary: A look at the not-so-heroic Heroes that Kiran recruits in the Grand Hero Battles.





	1. Valter

**Author's Note:**

> This came into being after I read something else here. Fire Emblem's a series I'd like to try and write more about anyway, so I decided to use some ideas from the same premise, kind of.

It took Kiran a while to get used to everything in the kingdom of Askr. He certainly wasn't used to having such a big place, and be nearly free to wander about in it.

Of course, he didn't exactly have much time for that. The Order of Heroes kept him quite busy.

He loved it there, through and through. It was great fun to be around all of these legendary warriors, and thanks to some texts he had found that chronicled their worlds, Kiran felt like he really knew them, even before they showed up.

Of course, there were some that he just couldn't seem to get along with no matter how hard he tried – Raven and Lon'qu were more than a little prickly, and Lyn always seemed to avoid him for reasons he still didn't understand – but he liked to think he had a lot of friends. Alfonse always said not to get too close to the Heroes, of course, but Kiran didn't see the harm in it. He even had someone with whom he was a fair bit more than friends - Eirika, the princess of Renais.

So of course, he found himself with quite the challenge on his hands when he learned that a new Hero had been spotted in the northeastern reaches of Askr. He figured it would be the same kind of situation that usually went down there, so he got himself a team of some of his strongest Heroes – Hector, Ryoma, Reinhardt, and Genny – and hoped that he would be prepared for whatever was waiting for him.

He was a bit surprised when he got there; this particular area of Askr tended to change its appearance whenever someone new was found there. These Heroes seemed to be taken from their worlds without anyone summoning them – or at least, that's what they usually told him once he brought them back to the Order.

This time, it was a desert, with a dilapidated castle in the north. Kiran scanned the battlefield, the heat waves interfering with his sight, and spotted the person he was looking for. It was a man with a wild mane of hair. He rode on a mount unlike anything Kiran had seen so far, somewhat resembling a wyvern crossed with a snake. He held a wicked-looking lance and watched the five of them with clear bloodlust in his eyes.

As Kiran watched him, it clicked in his mind who this man was – Valter, the Moonstone, from the Sacred World. He'd done his reading, and suddenly felt a devious smile spread across his lips. If he could add a man as viciously powerful as Valter to the Order's ranks, their opposition wouldn't stand a chance.

Kiran wasted no time barking battle orders as everyone got into position. Not a moment later, phantom warriors on flying mounts swooped down into view. As usual, they were outnumbered and surrounded, but Kiran wasn't about to let that stop them.

Soon, Valter was the only one left. The group watched him, collectively breathless. Genny was working overtime to get everyone back in fighting shape, which was good, since Valter began to slowly, ominously, make his way toward the group. His eyes never wavered from Kiran.

Reinhardt and Genny each took a step back while Hector formed the defense in front of them – a basic strategy, but it had worked before. Kiran would use Hector's weapon strength to his advantage, and hopefully, he'd be able to best Valter. He always had the others if something went wrong.

And, as it happened, something did.

The thought flashed through Kiran's mind – _did I make a miscalculation?_ – as Valter's mount let out a horrid screech and went off like a shot, heading straight for Reinhardt. There was a moment of shock, and Kiran barely had time to shout a warning when the mage raised one hand with a cry. A bolt of lightning came from nowhere, striking directly where Valter would be as he moved. If it hit, there certainly wouldn't be much fight left in the man, if any at all.

The monstrous mount of his must've had better reflexes than expected, because it darted to one side, not slowing its advance. It would be on him in less than a second, but Hector, moving faster than seemed possible, leapt in front of Reinhardt, raising Armads in a defensive gesture. Valter's lance struck the heavy axe with a terribly loud noise, but did nothing more as the two kept moving, over everyone's heads. Valter took a moment to recover before moving in for another strike.

Just then, Ryoma appeared out of nowhere, and with a loud cry, raised Raijinto. A second lightning bolt, white in colour rather than blue, crackled and hit the ground with an ear-piercing noise, taking their enemy by surprise. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as Valter was thrown off of his mount, which flew in the same direction as its rider and hit the ground, where it twitched occasionally. The wicked lance that he held spun through the air and stuck in the ground in front of them.

Before Valter could get up, Ryoma dashed forward and expertly placed the tip of his blade to the crazed man's throat. He glanced back to Kiran for a moment, who shook his head. Ryoma raised an eyebrow in surprise, but didn't move a muscle. Everyone else hurried forward to catch up to him.

Before they could get there, Valter, who wasn't as incapacitated as he looked, grabbed Raijinto's blade with one hand and shoved it forward. The hilt of the sword hit Ryoma's face, and in the moment of confusion, Valter stood up and dashed toward the oncoming group - and his lance, which was halfway between them.

This time, it was Genny who saved them; she raised her staff and whispered a quick incantation as light erupted from the end of it. The light chased down Valter, who wasn't nearly as quick on foot as he was on his mount, and forced him to trip. He fell on his face, sliding for a few feet, right past his lance. He let out a pained groan, mixed with a mad laugh, as he fell.

The group was more successful in approaching him now, as he stayed on the ground. Hector moved forward, but Kiran stopped him with one hand.

Valter weakly raised his head and stared at them through unfocused eyes. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, and he spat a bit of it out. It stained the desert sands.

"Kill me," the crazed knight said, slurring his words a little.

Ryoma stepped forward now, but Kiran stopped him too. The summoner crouched down in front of Valter's form as the others watched warily.

"I'm going to make you an offer," Kiran began. The warriors' eyes widened in surprise. Surely he couldn't be serious.

Valter wheezed, evidently struggling for breath. He kept making the same wheezing noise for quite some time, and it took Kiran a moment to realize that he was laughing. "An offer," he repeated. He flexed his fingers a little and the quiet sound of popping knuckles could be heard as he laughed again. "You're a fool."

"I beat you, didn't I?"

"Spare me and I will kill you without a second thought." The same crazed smile was still on Valter's face, although it wasn't as wide.

"Maybe," Kiran replied. "Or maybe we'll stop you. Now, my offer."

Valter let out another choked laugh, but said nothing. There was a hint of curiosity in his face.

"Join us," he said simply. "Join our army and I'll spare your life."

"Army," he repeated numbly. "Pathetic."

Kiran was about to continue negotiations, but there was a tap on his shoulder and he looked back. Hector was the culprit, and he jerked his head back, clearly looking to talk in private. Reinhardt had dismounted from his horse and was next to him. In response, Kiran beckoned Ryoma over to stand in front of Valter. Raijinto was sheathed, but ready to be drawn if necessary.

"Are you insane?!" Hector whisper-shouted once they were far enough away. "Why the _hell_ are you trying to recruit this guy?!"

"As… crass as he might be, Hector is correct," Reinhardt agreed. "Summoner, I must advise against this. There's something wrong with that man. He has an evil aura about him."

Hector nodded. "Just being near that dastard makes my skin crawl."

There was a short pause. They had a point, but… "Listen, listen," Kiran replied. "I know he's dangerous, and this is a huge risk. But you saw how strong he was in that battle. _And_ you know how much we've been struggling lately. Valter might be what we need to turn the tides in the fight against Embla."

Hector furrowed his brow. Reinhardt looked uncomfortable. It was a long time before the silence was broken.

"You've got a bit of a point," Hector eventually admitted. "Just a bit, though. And if he puts half a toe out of line, he's getting a taste of Armads."

"It won't come to that," Kiran promised. "I have a plan."

"I won't say I agree with this," Reinhardt said. "But… you haven't betrayed my trust before, Summoner. I'll give it to you again."

Kiran nodded, turned back, and put a hand on Ryoma's shoulder. The samurai moved back and Kiran knelt down again.

"I regain my strength as we speak," Valter warned. "Your little magic trick won't work on me a second time."

"I know all about you, Valter," Kiran whispered. The others couldn't hear him, but Valter certainly could. He took a breath before continuing, scarcely believing the words he was about to say. "I know how you were discharged from Grado's army. I know you've been seeking revenge against all of them for some time, and that that's the only thing that's kept you going. And you know what else I know?"

Valter quirked one eyebrow.

"I know that you're trapped here. You're in a different world from what you're used to with no way to return home. You have two options here. You can come with me, join our army, and help us in our war against Embla."

The crazed man scoffed. "How appealing," he said, his voice dripping sarcasm. "Aiding a group of whelps in some worthless task. I can hardly hold myself back."

Kiran continued as though he hadn't spoken. "Or you can stay here. Trapped here for eternity until your body finally gives out. You. Will. Never. Go. Home."

"And if I go with you?"

"Come with me and I'll return you to Magvel after the war is over. You can get your revenge."

Valter stopped and thought. "Is that so."

"It is," Kiran said, with a note of absolution.

"You could be lying to me," Valter reasoned. "If I go with you, you could stab me in the back at any opportunity." He bared his teeth. "Now wouldn't that be quite the role reversal."

"The same way you did to Glen, you mean," Kiran said, eyes narrowing. "Face it, Valter. You can't afford to take the chance."

There was silence for a long time. "I want your word that there will be no delays in returning me to my world," Valter said finally. "Your word that you will not sic your pathetic warriors on me at any point. And that I will be able to sate my hunger whenever I want."

Kiran nodded. "You have it."

Valter's face broke into a wicked grin. "Then it looks like we have a partnership." He slowly pushed himself to his full height, towering above Kiran, and stuck out one hand. There was a line of blood on it from where he had previously grabbed Raijinto's blade.

Kiran shook it, ignoring the small electric shock, and it was sealed. "Get your mount. We're leaving now."

Valter turned slowly, and walked back to his wyvern. It had gotten to its feet since and sputtered a bit, clearly in pain. He approached it, yanking his lance out of the ground along the way. From where Kiran was standing, it appeared he was talking to the beast.

A moment later, he led his wyvern back to Kiran, and bent one knee in a mock salute.

"Stand up," Kiran said. The barest hint of contempt crept into his voice.

Valter listened, and confidently strolled to the remaining warriors. Genny looked fearful, while Reinhardt and Ryoma had stony, expressionless looks on their faces. Hector's was closer to anger.

"I do hope we'll be able to work well together," Valter said with an unfriendly grin. "We shall become even greater than the six generals of Grado."

Hector looked like he wanted to stay something, but he just spat on the ground, and gestured for Valter to go first. He did, and everyone else fell in behind, not taking their eyes off him for a minute.

Kiran wasn't totally sure about this; he'd never had to resort to such measures to convince a warrior to join their cause. But then, Valter wasn't just another warrior.

{asterisks}

They soon returned to the headquarters of the Order of Heroes. The massive doors that led to the main room opened with a loud creak, and everyone currently standing there stopped what they were doing and watched the group of six enter. The only sound that could be heard was their footsteps as they made their way to the middle of the room.

Valter looked around at the extravagant hall, and the shocked faces of those around him. Some stared at him, while some were watching his mount. Others looked up once and returned to what they were doing.

"Greetings!" Valter boomed, breaking the silence. "I'm told that I am to be your new ally. I am called Valter, though you may refer to me as the Moonstone. I'll save you worthless dogs from your own incompetence." His mouth twitched. "You'll thank me later."

More shocked silence, then footsteps. Kiran looked to one of the smaller hallways to see Princess Eirika quickly coming toward him. His eyes widened, and he started cursing in his head.

"Oh, thank goodness you're back, Kiran!" she said as she walked. "I needed to talk to you a… bout…" Her voice trailed off as she saw the wyvern, and its rider, near him.

Valter's eyes lit up – as much as they could, anyway. Kiran could've sworn he saw his pupils dilating. "Princess Eirika," he purred. Quick as a whip, he snatched one of her hands and laid a kiss on her fingertips, hair falling about his face. "Kiran didn't tell me that I would find you here. What a pleasure…"

Eirika's eyes widened, and she opened and closed her mouth a few times, clearly shocked. Kiran felt the same. After a moment, she jerked her hand away and sprinted back the way she came. A sob could be heard coming from her mouth as she did.

"Dammit," Kiran muttered. "No one move a muscle!" he told the warriors, and ran after her.

{asterisks}

Eirika ran far, far away from the hall. She didn't know exactly where she was going, but she knew that she had to put as much space between that man and herself as possible.

As she ran, she bumped into another familiar face.

"Princess?" Seth said, frowning. He firmly put his hands on her shoulders, and raised his eyebrows when he saw the tears on her face.

"Seth…" Eirika stared up into his eyes. It hadn't even taken much, but nightmares and flashbacks were suddenly flooding back to her, and a new wave of tears took over. She pressed her face into Seth's chest, and he took it willingly, comforting her as best as he could.

Seth didn't have any idea what could have happened, but he'd never seen the princess this distraught. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked softly.

Eirika shook her head emphatically and held him tighter. They remained like that for some time until Kiran came down the hallway, panting.

"Eirika…" he said. "And General Seth, good to see you."

"Summoner," Seth replied with a calm nod. "Do you know what brought this on?"

"Yes." He had to pause, silently cursing himself for failing to think of the reaction here. "It's… it's Valter." Seth's eyebrows shot up. "He's here." And at that, his face was set in a rare expression of anger.

He immediately started forward, but Kiran put a hand on his chest. "I brought him here."

Seth's eyes blazed anew, and he turned on Kiran now, struggling to keep calm. Eirika looked up at him now as well. She was a mess, but her face held an unmistakable look of betrayal.

"Y-you what?" she asked. Soon, she had the same fire in her eyes as Seth.

"Eirika, listen," he said, reaching out one hand. "I can ex-"

" _Don't even try it_!" she screamed. She batted away his hand and slapped him across the face. Luckily for Kiran, she didn't have Sieglinde.

Seth watched, his look quickly changing from anger to apprehension. "Princess, perhaps-"

"Quiet, Seth!" she replied, looking back to him. Seth dutifully took a step back with a little cough.

"You _knew_!" Eirika accused, each word punctured by another slap. "You knew _exactly_ what happened in our world! I told you, Seth told you, Ephraim told you, and you read it in those _stupid_ little texts of yours, Kiran! I TRUSTED YOU!"

Kiran couldn't bring himself to look at her. His cheeks were turning an angry red colour. "Eirika-"

"I'm not finished with you!" she yelled. She was right in his face now, and Kiran had never seen her like this before. Understandable, he thought. "You _betrayed_ me, Kiran! You betrayed all of us! Me, and Ephraim, and Seth, by bringing that _monster_ here! I thought I was _safe_! I thought all of this was finally going to end, and I thought you... I thought I _loved_ you, Kiran, but you betrayed that too..."

She broke off into tears again, leaning her head into his chest and slamming his fists against him. There wasn't as much force to her strikes this time, however.

What her strikes lacked in power, her words made up for tenfold. Kiran could practically feel his heart breaking.

"Eirika…" he whispered, gently stroking her back with one hand to comfort her. "I'm sorry. I really am." He wasn't sure what else to say.

She sniffled, brushing the tears from her eyes. "I can't be around him," she whispered. "Kiran, I… I can't. I can't let myself be near that man… I don't know what he would do."

"I understand," Kiran said. "Eirika, I promise, I'm going to-"

She shook her head. "Kiran, that's not it, I… I need to ask you something."

"Anything."

"Send me home. Please, send me home."

Kiran and Seth reacted the same way. "What?!"

She looked at the both of them. "Please… both of you know as well as I do that this can't happen." Her voice cracked and threatened to break again.

Kiran spoke first. "Eirika, I can't-"

"Y-Yes you can," Eirika interrupted. She was shaking and her eyes were downcast. "I overheard you talking with Commander Anna… I know you can do it with that weapon of yours. Please, Kiran, you must…"

"Eirika, please," Kiran protested. "I can't afford to lose you. We can't afford to lose you. How would Seth and Ephraim feel if you just up and left?"

She shook her head sadly. "It's me or him, Kiran. I _can't_. Not even now…"

He took his hands in hers. "He won't hurt you, I swear. Not you, or me, or anyone else. I… struck a deal with him." He thought about what Hector had said earlier. "If he puts half a toe out of line, the entire Order of Heroes will come down on his head. I promise. I would kill him myself if that happened."

She bowed her head once more. "Kiran…"

He was suddenly very conscious of the fact that Seth was still in the hallway. Kiran looked at him apologetically, and Seth gave a short nod and walked off. Perhaps it may have been an uncharacteristic move in his own world, but Seth was no fool, and he'd been around Kiran long enough to know that he could be trusted with his liege.

"Please, Eirika, look at me…" he whispered. He gently took hold of her chin and tilted her head up. They were looking each other in the eyes.

"I won't let any harm come to you, or anyone else," he said quietly. "But you have to understand… I'm still the tactician. I need to do what's best for the army."

She brushed her tears away again. "Not what's best for me?"

He bit his lip and she spoke again. "I know… I'm being selfish, but… I can't help it."

"I know…" he whispered, pulling her in again. "I understand, I swear. But you still have me."

She nodded and took a shaky breath, calming down now. "Thank you…"

"He'll help us in our fight," he assured her. "I made sure of that. He'll help us, and then I'll get him out of here as soon as the war is over. I made him agree to it. So please… please stay, Eirika."

She nodded again. "Thank you so much… Kiran…"

He went to lay a kiss on her forehead, but she pulled him down so it was on the lips instead. He was surprised, but pulled her in. It lasted a long time.

When they finally pulled away, he laid his forehead against hers.

"What will you do with me when the fighting is over?" she asked.

He was silent for a moment. "Then… maybe you'd let me be a little selfish with you."

She smiled at that. "Maybe."

He couldn't help but smile back. "Don't move, alright? I'll be right back."

She nodded happily, and Kiran made his way back to the main hall. Luckily for him, everyone was exactly where they were when he left.

"So how is the _darling_ Princess Eirika?" Valter drawled.

"She's doing just fine," Kiran said with a false smile. He dropped it quickly. "Valter, I'd like to say something to you."

He quirked one eyebrow, giving Kiran his full attention.

"You're lucky I'm a man of my word, because if I weren't, there'd be a corpse where you're standing right now. And if you ever lay a finger on Eirika, I will take great pleasure in ending your life."

Predictably, Valter flicked one hand. "Yes, yes, I've already agreed to that. I know."

Kiran took hold of Valter's collar with one hand and yanked him down so they were face-to-face. "I mean it. Got the message?"

Valter rolled his eyes, but nodded anyway.

"Touch her and I'll know about it," he said before releasing Valter.

"Hector, Ryoma, Reinhardt, Genny," Kiran addressed. "I'm leaving the four of you in charge of him. You're some of my most trusted warriors and friends, and you're the best people for the job. Find him a place to stay and keep an eye on him. Once that's done, take him to the Training Tower. If anything happens, let me know."

Hector gave a smile as fake as Kiran's. "Perfect," he rumbled. "C'mon, Valter."

Valter looked back at Kiran, and rage flickered across his face. "Treating _me_ like a common mutt?"

"Exactly," Kiran said. "I'll keep you around for battle and who knows, maybe you'll stop being such an evil dastard. Until then, these four are in charge of you."

Valter spared each of them a look. "Then I'm sure we'll get along famously."

Kiran nodded. "You oughta hope so."

With that, he walked off, making his way back toward Eirika. He figured he could probably take the rest of the day for personal time.

Gods knew he needed it.


	2. Zephiel

Kiran was starting to get a bit smarter with how he did things around the Order of Heroes. He'd recently taken on the idea of reconnaissance for missions; it was originally a suggestion from Robin and Kiran couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before.

Jaffar, Sothe, Kagero, and Gaius were due to report back soon. Until then, there were still some things to do; he'd previously heard tell of another attack from Embla and he needed to prepare for that, for one. The Tempest had returned, so he needed to start gathering Heroes to take it on. On top of all that, he needed to talk to-

"Summoner."

Kiran nearly jumped out of his skin. Kagero's voice had come out of nowhere; he thought he was still alone.  _That's what I get for using ninjas_.

"Yeah… yeah, what was happening?" he asked, still recovering from the shock.

"It was a castle this time," Sothe reported. "Looked pretty plain, but the warriors were no joke."

"There were a lot of armored knights, and a couple mages," Gaius said. "The big guy was in the back. He had this wicked staff…"

"The knights wielded lances and axes," Kagero confirmed. "And the mages had thunder and fire tomes."

Kiran considered that. "Knights and mages… alright, I think I got it. Thanks a lot."

The team started to get up. One lagged behind.

"Jaffar?" Kiran asked. "Something wrong?"

Jaffar hesitated for a moment before turning back around. "The man in back… he was familiar to me. He reminded me of a target…"

Kiran raised his eyebrows. "A target… hmm. Interesting. Who was this target?"

"…Prince Zephiel of Bern."

Kiran's eyes grew wide. "Wait, wait, wait… you're talking about the Battle Before Dawn, aren't you? That was where Ursula of the Four Fangs met her end…"

Jaffar nodded.

"I've read about him. He… well, if he's here, we have quite the challenge on our hands. Thanks for the insight, Jaffar."

Jaffar nodded again, and left the room.

Now, Kiran thought, came the part where he had to think of a team. The kind of team members he would need were obvious, but it was choosing the specific ones that would be difficult. Magic users and warriors with anti-armor weapons would be the ones to shine, so, keeping that in mind, he started formulating a strategy.

He came out of his room some time later and started rounding up the Heroes he'd need. His final team consisted of Cherche, Caeda, Clair, and Reinhardt. He'd debated bringing Nino along, but decided against it. The girl was advancing in her magical abilities with leaps and bounds, but she was still young, and Jaffar would have his head on a silver platter if anything happened to her.

He'd learned his lesson from last time; although his usual team of four was well-rounded for just about any situation, it was much easier for him to get an idea of what he was going up against and prepare specifically for that. He reminded himself not to underestimate his opponent, and the group set out.

When they arrived, the first thing Kiran noticed was how cramped the space was that they were fighting in. Perhaps infantry units would've been more useful; he suddenly wished the recon team had filled him in on that detail.

The second thing he noticed was the extremely imposing man in back. Jaffar was right; it was Zephiel. The man matched every description Kiran had read of him, but some things still came as a surprise. Specifically, his eyes; Zephiel had a sharp, piercing gaze, and it gave Kiran the impression that he could see into his very soul.

There was also the fact that Zephiel was simply massive, and Kiran got the impression that he would stay that way were he to strip away the armor that the man wore. Zephiel's sheer presence was nearly overpowering, and Kiran suddenly found himself wishing he had left this one alone.

He shook his head; now wasn't the time. His units got into position quickly, and the fight began.

What Kiran hadn't expected was for Zephiel to join the fray himself so quickly, but that was part of the challenge, he supposed. Zephiel took several steps forward, not close enough to land a strike yet, and stopped. He took hold of the weapon he bore – Eckesachs, Kiran thought – and it looked like he was about to try something.

While he was distracted, Kiran suddenly felt an intense heat to one side. He looked, and barely dodged out of the way of a lance of fire that was launched at him. It singed his clothes; he must've barely gotten away.

"Summoner!" Reinhardt shouted. The mage knight rode in and raised one hand, and the crackle of thunder sounded loudly. He struck the mage once, twice, and then the threat was gone. "With all due respect, now is not the time!"

Kiran shook his head again. This was getting ridiculous. He got back into his usual rhythm, quickly ordering swift attacks on the armoured knights. Reinhardt dispatched one handily while Cherche swiftly moved to defeat the other mage. Clair and Caeda coordinated attacks on the one remaining knight, and then Zephiel was the only one left.

The man slowly looked about the battlefield, locking eyes with each warrior in turn. It was a bit unnerving. Zephiel took another step forward, thrusting Eckesachs into the air, and the air crackled. It reminded Kiran of something – something important, he was sure, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was.

The tip of Eckesachs shone with a brilliant light, and it changed form, resembling a sword rather than a sceptre. Kiran remembered. Zephiel was still staring at one Hero in particular.

"Cherche!" Kiran shouted. "Move!"

His warning came at the perfect time; Zephiel had brought down Eckesachs, and a wave of light ripped through the air toward Cherche. She urged her wyvern out of the way just in time, but the creature screeched in pain. Her wing must've been clipped.

Cherche gave him a deadly glare, but Zephiel was no longer looking at her. His eyes were focused directly on Kiran.

"I know not your name, boy," Zephiel stated. His voice was just as imposing as the rest of him.

"It's Kiran," he supplied. He licked his lips nervously.

"Kiran," Zephiel repeated. "I advise you to move or defend yourself. I would not kill an unarmed opponent."

Kiran's eyes narrowed. That sounded odd, but he wouldn't complain. "If it's all the same to you, I'd like to stay where I am," he replied. "I'm the tactician, after all."

Zephiel nodded. "You are brave," he said. "It is admirable. Very well."

Without missing a beat, he placed Eckesachs on the ground, and it shone with that brilliant light again. Zephiel spun, using his momentum to slam the ground with the weapon, and sent another wave of light through the air, this time toward Reinhardt.

Luckily, the mage knight was ready. His horse leapt out of the way, and Reinhardt quickly countered with a pair of lightning bolts, directed straight for Zephiel. He dodged the first, but the second hit him square in the chest. So far as Kiran could see, there was no reaction.

Caeda and Clair took that moment to swoop in and attack together. Caeda, coming in from the front, had her Wing Sword aimed at the arm holding Eckesachs, but Zephiel turned to one side, and the strike tore through his cloak and hit nothing more. Zephiel's great sword turned back to its sceptre form, and he deflected Clair's strike as well. Her blow, however, still landed, and Zephiel took it in his shoulder.

He still didn't flinch. Kiran admired his strength, but at the same time, had to wonder whether they were doing anything at all.

Once the two had swooped away, Reinhardt let loose with another pair of lightning strikes. This time, both hit the mark. Zephiel responded in kind, however, and launched two more shockwaves toward Reinhardt. He dodged the first, but the force of the second launched him off his horse. He was thrown against the wall with a loud grunt of pain, and sat there. Kiran rushed over quickly.

"I'm fine," Reinhardt said with a grimace. His face was deathly pale. "I still draw breath."

Caeda went in for another strike, but she went too close this time, and Zephiel caught her with a strike on her pegasus. The graceful creature tumbled and threw its rider into the air, and Caeda would've fallen if Clair hadn't swooped in and hauled her on top of her own mount.

Kiran watched Caeda's pegasus fall to the ground. He checked to make sure Reinhardt would be fine, and rushed over to the creature. It stood quickly, but wobbled, and Kiran stayed close to it as he continued to watch the battle. Well, as close as he could, anyway, considering how little the beast liked him.

Zephiel continued launching waves of light at Clair, and her pegasus darted in all directions to dodge the strikes. Kiran gritted his teeth. They wouldn't be able to defeat him if they couldn't  _hit_  him…

As he was thinking this, he suddenly heard a horribly loud  _clang!_ For a moment, he thought that he could also hear breaking bone. Zephiel's complexion turned stark white, the first change that Kiran had seen on his face. He fell forward slightly, leaning heavily on Eckesachs. Behind him, Kiran could see the slender form of Cherche, clutching the massive hammer she used as a weapon. Her wyvern was standing a short distance away, with one wing slightly curled in. Kiran grinned.

It looked like they were victorious.

Kiran rushed forward to the king's side. Zephiel was breathing heavily through gritted teeth.

"Impressive," he muttered. "I must commend you… Kiran."

He felt a burst of pride from the compliment. "I appreciate that, King Zephiel."

He opened his mouth to say something else, but Zephiel held up one hand. "I know what you're going to ask."

Kiran's eyebrows shot up. "You do?"

"You want me to join you."

Kiran nodded in response. "We're-"

"Waging war against Embla. I know." Zephiel waved one hand irritably. "I haven't spent all my time in this world standing here and waiting for a fight, boy."

"Well, what's your answer?"

Zephiel was silent for some time. "This is not a small matter."

"I'm aware of that," Kiran replied. "But Embla only gets stronger and stronger. We need all the help we can get to end this war."

There was another moment of silence. "Why do you aid these people in their fight?" Zephiel asked.

Kiran blinked. "What?"

Zephiel repeated the question.

"Why do you need to know that?"

The king drew himself to his full height. "I do not go to war lightly, boy. If I believe in your convictions, I will join you."

Kiran nodded. "Well, I want these kingdoms to have peace. Why else?"

Zephiel shook his head. "No. That is why those around you fight. But you… you could leave. If you desired, you could leave for somewhere that already knows an era of peace. Why do you stay?"

The thought had never occurred to him, but Kiran realized that he was actually right. "I've been given a responsibility to these people since I was brought here. I can't just turn my back on them. And… I've become close with them all, and there's no way I'd be able to leave friends in a situation like this."

The king listened intently. When Kiran was done, he nodded. "Naturally."

Kiran blinked. "Wh- wait, you mean you knew that's what I was gonna say?"

He nodded again. "You showed me what kind of person you are already. I will join you."

Kiran suddenly felt an uncontrollable urge to shake Zephiel's hand with great enthusiasm, but stopped himself. "It… it's an honor."

He watched Kiran with his piercing gaze, and said nothing.

Kiran traded looks with him for a moment, and then turned back to the warriors. He checked on each one in turn, made sure they were in shape to return home, and led them all back.

{asterisks}

They returned to the Order of Heroes. Caeda, Clair and Cherche were mostly untouched, but Reinhardt and Zephiel both held themselves very stiffly. Kiran called a few healers over to get started on their wounds, but it looked like the two of them would need some recovery time anyway.

They started making their way to the infirmary. Kiran had to admit, it almost looked silly seeing a man as large as Zephiel towering over those around him.

"Kiran!"

He jumped, and turned around to see Hector.

"I heard we got someone new," he said. "C'mon, introduce 'em to me."

Kiran stepped back, and Zephiel turned around. He said nothing.

Hector looked him up and down. This was even funnier to Kiran; he already thought Hector was a big guy, but even  _he_  was dwarfed next to the king of Bern.

The Ostian prince had a big smile on his face. "Good to meetcha!" he exclaimed. "Can't wait to see how you fight, big fella. What do they call you?"

Zephiel's eyes were narrowed, and he stared at Hector intently. Hector looked away after a moment.

"O-kay, not much of a talker," he muttered. Then, sotto to Kiran. "What's with this guy?"

Kiran was about to answer, and he stopped himself from doing so right away. It hadn't occurred to him that Hector wouldn't know the identity of his own killer. This timeline stuff was confusing.

"He's just, uh, quiet," Kiran said. "C'mon, he needs to rest. Let him go for a sec."

Hector furrowed his brow, but stepped away. Zephiel kept moving. Kiran knew he recognized Hector, but luckily for him, didn't mention it.

"So who is he?" Hector asked.

Kiran hesitated for a moment. "It's… Zephiel."

Hector's eyes bulged, then his jaw dropped and he looked back and forth. After a moment, he exploded into deep belly laughs. It continued for quite some time.

" _That's_  Zephiel?!" Hector said once he calmed down. "Ha! I remember that little shrimp! He sure grew up!"

Kiran had to crack a smile at his boisterous reaction. "Sure did, yeah."

Hector chuckled again and shook his head. "Man, I gotta go tell Eliwood and Lyn about this. See you 'round, Kiran."

Kiran watched him leave. As he did, another thought occurred to him, and he kicked himself internally.

Dammit. It wouldn't have surprised him if the warriors from the second generation of Elibe had filled in those of the first generation about their futures. To be honest, Kiran was a bit surprised that Lilina had apparently never told her father about it, but he figured someone else probably would've told theirs. Dammit, dammit, dammit.

He took off like a shot through the halls of the building.

While he was running, he slammed right into someone, and fell to the ground with a yelp.

He looked up, and saw a hand offered out to him. He took it, and was pulled up by the exact person he was searching for.

"Roy!" Kiran exclaimed. The prince blinked.

"Were you looking for me?"

Kiran nodded vigorously. "And Lilina. I need to talk to you both."

Roy looked confused, but walked with him anyway. "I saw her training just a moment ago. C'mon."

Kiran breathed a sigh of relief, and the two of them walked to the training grounds.

"What's going on?" Roy asked.

Kiran waved one hand dismissively. "I'll tell you both together. This is a delicate matter."

The young prince nodded. They soon found Lilina, and the three of them took a walk through the mostly deserted grounds.

"What's happening?" Lilina asked worriedly.

Kiran hesitated. "I need the both of you to promise that you will not tell  _anybody_  what I'm about to tell you.  _Especially_  not your fathers, or anyone else from their era."

The young royals nodded, and Kiran started with a simple question. "Have either of you told your fathers about their fates in your time?"

They looked at each other, and shook their heads. "I've been so focused on spending more time with Father that I… I didn't want to talk about his future," Lilina said. Roy nodded along.

Kiran breathed another sigh of relief, and filled them in on the situation.

Their jaws dropped simultaneously. "What?!" Roy exclaimed loudly. He covered his mouth with one hand quickly. "King Zephiel is  _here_?" he asked in a quieter voice.

"Roy, listen," Kiran said quickly. "You cannot tell your fathers about what happens. Either of you."

"Why not?!" Roy asked, somewhat angrily. "Summoner, they have a right-"

"I know that," Kiran said. "And I'll fully admit that my reasons here are mostly selfish. But how hard do you think it would be to fight alongside the man who will eventually murder you? Or your best friend?"

"I can't condone this, Summoner," Roy replied. He calmed down a bit. "With all due respect, they should be told. It's important."

Kiran watched the both of them. "Would you?" he asked quietly.

Roy stopped. "Would I what?"

"If I knew," Kiran said. "If I knew exactly how it was that you died in your world, and who it was that killed you… would you want me to tell you?"

It took a moment, but Lilina was the first to answer this time. "I… no, Summoner, I wouldn't."

Roy looked at her quizzically. "Lilina?"

"Roy… think about it for a second," she said. "What if it was someone close to you? What if a friend that you trusted with your life betrayed you and cut you down? If you were given that information, what would you do?"

He mulled that over. "Well… the logical move would be to lower the risk of it happening."

"And how would you do it?"

His eyes turned downcast. "…Cutting them out of my life."

"Exactly," Lilina said. "With no explanation or anything. A dear friend who you've known all your life would be cut away because you learned this. Roy, that's what drives people to kill in the first place."

He started to argue, but she cut him off. "I'm not saying there's a truly right answer to this, but… don't you want your father to be happy?"

The young prince looked everywhere but at her. "Yeah."

"Then I agree with Kiran," she said. Her voice cracked a little. "We can't change what happens. All we can do… is keep them happy. And as for me… I know what happens. It's my father's fate to f-fall in battle…"

Tears formed at the corners of Lilina's eyes, but she blinked them away as she turned back to Kiran. "Thank you, Summoner. You've helped me a lot."

Kiran wasn't sure that he really did anything, but he nodded anyway with a little smile.

"Thanks for understanding, you two," he said. With that, the three of them went their separate ways.

Thank goodness. That would definitely spare him a lot of heartache later on. With that thought in his mind, he made his way to the infirmary to see how Reinhardt and Zephiel were doing.

When he got there, it was nearly deserted. It usually was; even against Veronica and Surtr's forces, it wasn't often that the Heroes got banged up this badly. Kiran shuddered to think of what might've happened if he hadn't been the first to find Zephiel.

He was filled in on the situation; Reinhardt had a couple of cracked ribs. Kiran grimaced at that. Reinhardt was one of his most powerful warriors, but he wouldn't want to push him in a condition like this.

Miraculously, Zephiel hadn't broken any bones. Kiran expected it to be otherwise, but it seemed that his armor had absorbed most of Cherche's blow. It did, however, cause some kind of unspecified issue – something to do with alignment, Kiran thought - so the king of Bern was bedridden for the time being. He'd also be left with some wicked bruising where Clair hit him with Rhomphaia, but that wasn't the concern with him at the moment.

He watched the man for a moment and thought about walking over to him, but realized there was nothing to say. Zephiel was fighting for them. That was enough.

That thought lifted his spirits. As he left the infirmary, he bumped into Eirika, who gave him a warm smile.

"Hello, Kiran," she greeted.

Kiran smiled back, and fell into step beside her. "Gods, you would not  _believe_  the day I've had."

She nodded. "Mine hasn't been very good. …Well, probably nothing like yours, but…"

Kiran chuckled, and put an arm around her shoulder. "Wanna tell me about it?"

She nodded happily, and the two of them swapped stories as they strolled through the halls.


	3. Arvis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You could probably tell from the last two chapters that combat scenes aren't my strong suit. Be that as it may, I think I'm improving.
> 
> On a side note, Arvis is easily one of my favourite villains in all of Fire Emblem, so I hope I do well here.
> 
> There might be a certain scene partway through that might be out of touch with a few events of FE4, but I'd like to remind you, dear reader, that Arvis did canonically live happily with his family between the two generations of the game. Before Manfroy and Julius happened, that is.

"Hey, Summoner, do you take advice?"

Kiran jumped, turning back to see Sothe still in his room. The rest of the recon team had left after delivering their latest report, and Kiran thought he was alone. He  _really_  needed to make sure he watched them leave. The Zephyr held up his hands as Kiran asked "Advice?"

"Yeah. Like with tactics and stuff like that."

Kiran raised his eyebrows. He'd figured Sothe was a bit smarter than he let on, but that was unexpected. "Sure. Always."

Sothe hesitated for a moment. "Leave this one alone."

That caught him off guard. Kiran crossed his arms and frowned. "Why?"

Sothe glanced back at the doorway. "As we were leaving, I thought I heard something, so I stayed behind a bit. I saw a group of warriors – they looked like Embla's." Kiran could swear that his face was turning green. "One of them approached him, and the guy didn't even say anything. He just flicked his hand at him and… and this big ball of fire appeared out of nowhere and closed in on the warrior. He went up in flames and I swear to you, when he fell, most of his skin was gone. He was probably dead before he hit the ground."

Kiran's jaw dropped. He already had his suspicions on who this warrior was based on the team's description – flowing hair of a harsh red, with regal clothes befitting a king – but this confirmed it. He'd known that Emperor Arvis had plenty of power at his disposal, but in his wildest dreams, he'd never thought that he could do something like that.

Sothe watched him warily. "You can't still be thinking of going."

Kiran ran one hand through his hair and started pacing. "No enemy is infallible, Sothe."

"Surtr?"

Kiran shot him a glare. "He has a weakness, we're just working on it."

Sothe nodded, clearly unconvinced. "Uh-huh. Yep, that's it. So what's your plan, march in there and just lead four of our warriors to their deaths? I know that you're good at tactics, but I don't even think you could match a guy like that."

Kiran waggled one finger. "Exactly. I'm not going to match him. I'm gonna outsmart him."

"I gotta hear this, then."

Kiran kept pacing, a bit faster now that he was getting excited. "The reason Arvis can fling around so much power like he does is the tome he's got, Valflame. So if we take the tome…"

Comprehension dawned on the young thief's face. "Then we take his power."

Kiran nodded. "Or most of it, anyway. I've heard of some particularly skilled mages being able to cast some spells even without a tome, but there's no way he could do something on the level of Valflame if he isn't holding it. I'll bring a healer anyway, though."

Sothe gave him a little grin. "I was hoping you'd say that."

"I'll need a thief as well. You up to it?"

He looked a bit nervous, but nodded. Kiran grinned, and turned back to start forming a battle plan.

"Summoner?"

Sothe was still there. "Why are you so intent on getting this guy on our side?"

"Simple," he replied. "My reasons are threefold." He raised one finger. "One, that kind of power, as usual, will help bring us victory against Surtr. Arvis is no joke, and who knows, maybe fighting fire with fire might help us a little. Two, if we get to him first, that'll stop Arvis from amassing his own little army and trying to conquer  _us_. That doesn't seem to be his style, but I like to be prepared. Three, I  _really_  don't want Surtr and Veronica to get their hands on him. Whether they recruit him or kill him, he's better off with us."

Sothe pondered that. "Guess so. Lemme know who you want and I'll start rounding them up."

"Priscilla, Olwen, and Hector," Kiran replied promptly. "I'll take care of the rest myself."

{asterisks}

The group set out. There was a sense of unease in the air as they walked, as Kiran had already filled everyone in on the situation. There were whispers behind him, and he tried to tune them out.

Soon, the field came into view. Kiran turned to Sothe, and the thief quickly slipped out of sight. He looked back at the rest of the group. "Are you all ready?"

There was apprehension all around, but the warriors stiffened their resolve, and walked forward. Kiran checked to make sure his ace was prepared, and everyone walked forward onto the battlefield.

Arvis stood there in the middle of the field. There were several soldiers around him, standing without any sort of movement. He stared down the approaching Heroes, with Valflame open in his hand. Kiran gulped.

He spoke. "You would challenge me with such a group?"

"That's the plan," Kiran replied. "Hope you're ready."

Arvis chuckled in response. "Always." He raised one hand, and Kiran could feel the quiet hum of power in the air. The three warriors instantly rushed forward as Kiran began barking orders.

"Don't stop moving!" he shouted. Even as he spoke, the great flame began to form around Hector, and he darted to one side. Kiran could see from his vantage point that he was singed.

He needed to get it done, and he needed to do it fast. Kiran cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled as loud as he could. "SOTHE!"

Even as he did, Kiran could see Arvis narrow his eyes at him. He flicked his hand in Kiran's direction. Sothe came out of nowhere and went for the Valflame tome, but Arvis sidestepped, apparently expecting the thieving attempt.

Kiran didn't have time to watch those two; he was too busy with the flames that Arvis conjured. They closed in on him quickly.

 _Pain_. The most raw, intense, searing pain that Kiran had ever experienced. The flames were so hot that they sucked the air out of his lungs, and Kiran couldn't even scream. He couldn't even form a coherent thought as the fire licked at him. The roar of the flames filled his ears.

Faintly, he realized something was at the edge of his vision – Breidablik was glowing. For a moment, the pain seemed to dissipate, but then it returned, a thousand times worse.

Just as Kiran started to lose consciousness, he heard a faint voice.  _You can't die here_ , it said.

As he heard this, the flames were blown away, though the heat was still in the air. Kiran was jarred, and fell to his knees. Priscilla rode over in his direction, and her staff glowed with a soft light. He heard her speak, and heard her worried tone, but the words were incoherent.

Finally, the pain was soothed. His body was noticeably cooler, thank goodness. He pushed himself to his feet as fast as he could, and he watched the battlefield.

"Summoner!" Priscilla said, snapping him out of it. She spoke fast. "We don't have much time. The spell will only hold for a little while, and I won't be able to renew it right away. The pain will come back soon."

Kiran shook his head, trying not to think about that, and looked over at Arvis.

Sothe was fighting him. He had a dagger in each hand, and whirled away with each one. He quickly tried to land blow after blow, but Arvis was too quick. The emperor repeatedly tried to cast Valflame at Sothe, but the thief kept the pressure on, not giving him an opening.

Elsewhere, Hector and Olwen were fighting for their lives. Each one had two soldiers on them. Kiran wasn't sure, but he thought that there were more soldiers than before. Outside of his vision, there was also a quick flash of bright light, and one of the soldiers crumpled. He grimaced, remembering his plan, but supposed that the situation had changed. Kiran and Priscilla made their way to Hector and Olwen.

As he watched, the fight started to turn in their favor. Priscilla healed Hector and Olwen's wounds, and they fought with renewed vigor. Each one dispatched the soldiers fighting them, and it wasn't much longer before the other ones were gone as well. A few outside flashes of light helped. Both of them looked up and had expressions of shock when they saw Kiran.

"Summoner," Olwen said. "You're hurt."

"I'll say," Hector agreed. "You look awful. What the hell happened?"

Kiran waved one hand dismissively. "No time. C'mon."

Even as they watched, Arvis faltered, and Sothe slashed at the arm that held Valflame. Blood sprinkled into the air, and the tome fell to the ground. Sothe grabbed it and backed away as Arvis, with fire in his eyes, threw a much smaller ball of flame in his direction. Sothe sidestepped it easily, and Kiran pointed in Arvis' direction.

"Olwen, Priscilla!" he shouted. "NOW!"

Olwen raised one hand and Priscilla lifted her staff skyward. After a pair of whispered incantations, a harsh light and blue bolts fired at Arvis. They hit him in quick succession, and the emperor finally fell.

A laugh escaped Kiran's throat and he rushed forward. As he approached Arvis' form, which was stirring, Sothe handed him the Valflame tome. Kiran stood above the emperor, panting.

"You put up a good fight, Lord Arvis," Kiran said. "But you're no match for us." Even as he spoke, a nagging unpleasantness filled his senses, and he knew Priscilla's spell was wearing off.

Arvis grunted in response. He tried to push himself to his feet, but fell again with a groan of pain. "I must say… I'm impressed. Very few have survived my hellfire."

Kiran swallowed. "I had help."

"I… see," Arvis said. "What do you intend to do with me?"

"I want you to join us."

"No."

Kiran blinked, not expecting such a blunt refusal. "I disagree. You _will_  join us."

"No," the emperor repeated. "I have been stripped of my wife, my child, my country… my home. But I still hold my pride. I will  _not_  go with one such as yourself. I would rather die here. ...No matter your strength."

"I think I have something that'll change your mind. Look up."

Arvis did, slowly pushing himself to his feet, though he stumbled. He would've fallen if a pair of arms didn't catch him.

As Kiran watched, the emperor stared in disbelief at the young woman holding him.

"Julia…?" he rasped. "You're… I… I thought you were with…"

She had tears in her eyes. "I'm here, Father," she whispered. "I'm here…"

Arvis stared at Kiran. "How…"

"Never mind that," he replied. Kiran couldn't stop a smile from forming on his face. "Will you join us?"

Arvis nodded without hesitation. "If I can stay with Julia…"

Kiran grinned, happy that his mission was complete. "Then I should tell you," he said. "There's also-"

Kiran cut himself off with a howl of pain as his burns returned full-force, and he collapsed.

{asterisks}

When he woke up, he was staring upward. He felt a gentle pressure on most of his body, as well as a quiet throbbing pain. He slowly sat up, and found himself in a modest bed.

"You're awake."

Kiran's heart skipped a beat. He looked around, and saw Lucius and Genny. "Where…"

"You're in the infirmary," Genny told him gently. "Hector carried you here after you got back. Do you remember what happened?"

Kiran looked down and saw that his body was almost entirely covered in bandages. He raised one hand to rub at his face. "We fought Arvis… and he hit me with Valflame… Priscilla stopped it for a bit, but then it came back…"

"That sounds right," Lucius said. "Your body is covered in burns. We've applied salves, but you aren't in any shape to move."

Kiran barely registered that, and tried to get up. Predictably, his body exploded with pain, and he let out a pained groan.

Genny rushed forward, putting her hands on his shoulders and easing him back down on the bed. "Please rest, Kiran. Your life isn't in danger anymore, but you must rest, or it'll only get worse."

He scowled at nothing in particular. "Fine."

"We'll get you whatever you need, Summoner," Lucius told him.

He thought about that. At first, he thought that there must've been something more important for them to do than cater to him, but then he remembered that no, there wasn't. He was in the top five of the most important members of the Order of Heroes, if not the first. He pushed that out of his head anyway.

"How long have I been out?" he asked.

Genny threw a look out the door, where sunlight was streaming through the windows. "It's been nearly a day."

Kiran's eyes widened so much, they nearly bulged out of his sockets. A  _day_. No, no, no, that wouldn't do. There was too much to do, especially now that Arvis was here, and he needed to get working. He wanted to get up, but those damn bandages were in the way. Not to mention that burns that they were hiding.

"Alright… I need to talk to some people. Can you bring them here? And maybe something to write with so I don't forget…"

Lucius quickly fetched a quill and pad, and Kiran got to work. "To start off, I should probably talk to-"

"KIRAN!"

He jumped, and looked up toward the doorway. He barely had time to register the sight before Eirika had pulled up a seat and was sitting next to him. There were dried streaks under her eyes.

"Priscilla told me what happened," she said. "You had me so worried…"

He gave her a weak smile. "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"Is that all you have to say?" she asked. Her tone was harsh, but her eyes were shining.

"I didn't think he was gonna aim for me," Kiran protested. "They almost never do."

"You still need to be careful," Eirika chided. She leaned over and gave him a gentle hug. "I'm just so happy you're alright…"

There was some slight discomfort, but he didn't say a word. He just kissed Eirika on her cheek, and smiled. "That's all that matters."

She returned his smile before getting up. "I'd love to stay, but I know you probably have lots to do."

"I'll catch up with you once I've finished speaking to everybody," he assured.

She nodded without another word, kissed his cheek, and got up. Eirika exchanged a few quiet words with Lucius before leaving the infirmary.

Kiran turned back to his paper. He expected that he'd be getting some more visitors during the day, so he went over a quick list in his mind and asked Lucius and Genny to fetch everybody.

They only allowed him one visitor at a time, but that was fine. Before anyone from his list appeared, however, Commander Anna showed up by his bedside, with Alfonse and Sharena, who apparently were immune to the rules.

Once they got past the initial " _ohmygodsKiranyouidiotIcan'tbelieveyoujuststoodthereandletyourselfgethurtlikethatdoyouhaveanyideawherewewouldbewithoutyou_ ," which mostly came from Sharena, there was nothing but relieved grins. The three of them got Kiran caught up on what had happened around the Order while he was resting, and left him. Soon after, Sigurd appeared.

"Just the man I wanted to see," Kiran said with a grin.

Sigurd returned it, just as widely. "You're in awfully high spirits for someone who's been bedridden."

"No point in letting something like this keep me down," Kiran replied. "Laugh it off, that's my motto."

"…Kiran, last week you said that your motto was to never miss one of Lady Camilla's meals."

"Well, I was-"

"Before that, your motto was to never leave Effie alone with any desserts."

"She ate Feh's  _entire birthday cake_ , that was-"

Sigurd grew a wicked grin. "And before  _that_ , you said your motto was that Princess Eirika had a very nice-"

" _Anyway!_ " Kiran shouted, quickly turning red. "That last one doesn't count. I wasn't in my right mind."

Sigurd just smiled. "Had too much to drink, you mean."

Kiran scowled. "I didn't know you had such a sense of humor. Can we get back to business, please?"

The holy knight sat next to Kiran's bed. The smile stayed on his face. "What is it?"

"I'm sure you've heard about the newest addition to the Order."

"Lord Arvis, yeah."

"How d'you feel about that?"

Sigurd frowned. "Is that all you called me here for? Don't worry about it, Kiran."

Kiran made a mental note of that.  _So Seliph hasn't spoken to him yet._  "You're getting along, then?"

"Sure," Sigurd said, leaning back casually. "I was never particularly close with him back in my world, but he seemed like a decent sort, from what I'd heard." He shrugged. "Nothing to worry about. Why do you ask?"

Kiran shook his head. "Just touching base. I wanna make sure there's no bad blood."

Sigurd's eyes narrowed, and his expression grew suspicious. "Why would there be bad blood between me and someone I've never met?"

 _Shit_ , Kiran thought. Sigurd was certainly perceptive. "Well, I, uh…"

"Does he have something to do with my future?"

Kiran sighed. "You know I can't tell you that, Sigurd."

The knight was visibly frustrated. "I know, I…" He shook his head. "Damn. Sorry, Kiran. You don't need this now."

Kiran felt bad, but was relieved that he could let the topic go. "You wanna know something, Sigurd? There is something I can tell you."

Sigurd raised one eyebrow in response as Kiran continued. "Seliph is a capable leader. After you're gone, he takes over as the leader, and the people love him. He does a fantastic job, and his reign continues for many, many years."

Sigurd listened, and smiled. "You didn't need to tell me all that, Kiran," he said. "I'm confident in him. He's got everything he needs. But I appreciate the sentiment." He gently placed his hand on Kiran's shoulder as a goodbye. He stopped by the doorway. "By the way, Kiran…"

Kiran looked up as Sigurd kept talking. "You were right."

"Right?"

"About Princess Eirika."

Kiran was confused. Sigurd gave him an impish grin.

"She's smokin'. You're a lucky guy."

Kiran gave him a mock glare, but he was smiling. "If I could move, I'd throw something at you."

Sigurd chuckled, and left him alone.

Kiran was about to turn back to his list when there was another quiet laugh from next to him. Kiran looked over at another bed and saw Reinhardt.

"He does have a sense of humor, doesn't he," Reinhardt chuckled gently. There were bandages around the mage knight's torso.

"Smart-ass," Kiran grumbled.

Reinhardt laughed a bit louder, then winced and put a hand over his side. Kiran watched him with a pang of guilt.

"I'm sorry that happened, Reinhardt."

"Nothing to worry about," he replied. The slightest hint of the pain was in his voice. "I am a warrior first. This is but a small part of my duty."

Kiran had to admire his dedication. "Did you hear about what happened?"

Reinhardt nodded. "My sister stopped in and told me while you slept. Emperor Arvis is among our ranks now, is he?"

Kiran had forgotten that the two of them were from the same world. "Yeah. Did you ever meet him?"

"Once," Reinhardt said, closing his eyes and remembering. "Officially, I was under the command of Lord Julius and Lady Ishtar, but I had the privilege of meeting Emperor Arvis when I was first knighted. I exchanged some words with him in a banquet afterwards, and I must say, he seemed like an amiable man. And he was a capable ruler for some time." The mage knight opened his eyes again and gave the wall across from his bed a hard stare. "I'm not sure what happened to change that, but it's quite regrettable that it did."

Kiran listened intently. "I agree. By all accounts, he was a benevolent ruler."

They were silent for some time. "What changed, Kiran?" Reinhardt asked sadly.

Kiran was shocked. That was the first time that Reinhardt had used his real name. "Changed?"

"Arvis," the knight replied. "He was a good man. Our country knew an era of peace for ten years. Ten years! It was all because of him that we were granted that peace, and then... it changed." Reinhardt bowed his head, clearly deep in thought. "I still remember the day it happened, you know. It had been a day like any other, but as I was training, I heard shouting in the distance. A man appeared and said that I needed to aid the army. I was so confused - why did we need to fight? Did we not know peace? And before I knew it... I was atop my horse and faced with destruction. I saw soldiers around me rushing forward toward another army, but those men didn't look like soldiers. They didn't even carry real weapons - they were civilians, farmers... they didn't begin this. Even as I watched, they were massacred. Then the soldiers rushed toward a village and..." Reinhardt's voice trailed off for a moment before he resumed his story. "Flames danced on the plains that night. I heard screaming from all directions, from the people who I was meant to protect. I couldn't watch it. I rode away - far away from that battlefield. The battle found me, no matter how hard I tried to turn away from it. I was given no choice but to fight for the men who began that war. I killed civilians... I killed the defenseless. Even women and children." He stopped again, and turned to the summoner. "That day haunts me, Kiran. It was the darkest moment of my life. And I could do nothing to prevent it. I must ask you... please, I must have an answer. What happened on that black day? What changed?"

Kiran was speechless. Even in all of the studying he had done, he had no recollection of a story like the one Reinhardt had just told him. And the sadness in the man's voice was heartbreaking. Kiran couldn't imagine what it had to be like to have all of your beliefs turned on their head in a single moment. He couldn't bring himself to keep Reinhardt in the dark.

"Do you really want the knowledge of what changed, Reinhardt?" Kiran asked softly. "If I tell you... you can't act on it, no matter what you do. No matter how much you would like to change what happens... you can't. No matter what, fate would find a way back to its original course. Do you still want to know?"

Reinhardt was silent for a long time. "Kiran, I... I don't just want to know. I  _must_  know. I can't bear to wonder for a moment longer... not when the answer is in front of me. I must know... what happened to my country?"

Kiran took a deep breath.

"It started with a man called Manfroy."


	4. Ursula

"You can do it, Kiran!"

Kiran grunted with discomfort and effort, gripping Eirika's hand tightly. He slowly dragged himself to a standing position. His legs wobbled and threatened to buckle, but he straightened.

He grinned, and started laughing. Kiran laughed so hard, he expected to fall, but managed to stay on his feet.

It was infectious enough that Eirika started giggling as well. Lucius and Genny, who had taken care of him during the entirety of his stay in the infirmary, looked on with gentle smiles.

"You guys have no idea how good this feels," Kiran told them. "I feel like I could fly!"

It had been a little more than a week since the battle with Arvis, and Kiran was going insane, having to stay in his cramped little bed. He was happy he could walk – as much as that was possible, anyway. He imagined he'd need someone else to support him if he tried to stay on his feet for any period of time.

But if that person was Eirika, he didn't mind too much.

He had no idea how long it would take for him to heal completely, but even then, the scars would still be there. At least he would have a good story to tell.

"Alright," Kiran said. He took a few steps toward the door. "Let's get to the mess hall. I'm starving."

"Kiran," Genny said as he was leaving. He glanced back at her.

She hesitated, clearly not looking forward to what she was about to say. "You should stay out of battle for a while."

He stared. "I can't do that!" he protested. "I can't stay here. Gods, I'd go insane! I have to be out there just as much as any of you!"

Genny looked back to Lucius for help, and he stepped forward. "Summoner," he began. Lucius had a very soothing voice, but Kiran was having none of it. The monk continued anyway. "I know how you feel, but the fact remains that you're still very much injured. I would at least advise that you wait until you can walk on your own. Maybe someone else could handle your duties. I could ask Robin, or Lute, perhaps…"

Kiran gritted his teeth and tried to stop his temper from getting the better of him. Of all the people he'd ever want to yell at, the three that were in the infirmary were near the bottom of his list. "I understand your sentiment, but… gods, Lucius, I need to be doing something. I need to help. It wouldn't feel right to send anyone out into the battlefield without being there myself."

Lucius looked pained. "Summoner, I didn't want to take it to this point, but you may have left me no choice. If it's necessary, I will keep you here. It can be done by force if it must."

"You'd imprison me?"

"If that's what it would take for you to recover."

He could feel his anger hitting a breaking point. Kiran was about to give Lucius a piece of his mind, and damn the consequences, when a soft voice from next to him spoke his name. He looked over at Eirika, quelling his gaze.

"You're smarter than this," she told him firmly. "Please. Lucius is right. You're acting like a stubborn child, Kiran. Whether you like it or not, you still need rest."

Kiran huffed. She was right – all of them were, but he didn't like it. "Fine," he muttered. "I understand. I'll give it time." He looked back over at Lucius. "How long do you think it'll take for all this to get healed up?"

Lucius thought for a moment and looked away. "Three weeks. Perhaps longer. The fire was quite powerful."

The tactician's nostrils flared, but he forced his temper down, and took a deep breath. Don't shoot the messenger. "Thank you. I'll keep it in mind. And how long do you think it would take for me to walk on my own?"

"Perhaps two weeks."

Kiran couldn't stop himself from groaning. Two weeks, he thought. Two weeks cooped up within the Order. Not that he hated the place, far from it. But not being able to go out into the battlefield for two full weeks would be hell.

"I'm sorry, Summoner," Lucius said. There was a hint of guilt in his voice. "But none of us can afford for you to push yourself."

"And there's no way the process can be sped up? Not with your staves?"

The monk shook his head gently. "There's little that can be done but wait at this point. Our magic is powerful, but extensive damage like this is outside of its reach."

Kiran nodded. "Thanks for being honest, Lucius. You're a good friend." He took a deep breath, and turned to Eirika. "Shall we?"

She watched him warily, but nodded. "It'll be good for you to get moving."

As they walked, Kiran was clearly deep in thought. The princess noticed, and studied him. "Something on your mind?"

"Mm," Kiran hummed. "A bit…"

He didn't continue at first. "Watch your step here," Eirika reminded as they entered the mess hall. The room was empty but for Hector, who seemed to be having himself a snack. He looked at the door, and his eyes lit up when the two came in.

"How are you two lovebirds?!" he asked enthusiastically. Kiran grinned and waved. Eirika helped him get himself a little meal, and led him over across from Hector.

His grin was wide. "Good to see you up and about, Kiran! I made a bet that you'd start walkin' today, and now it looks like I'm gonna collect!"

"Who was it with?"

"Innes," Hector replied. "He might be stuffy, but that fella knows how to gamble."

Eirika couldn't stifle a giggle. That sounded like Innes, for sure.

"So you're gonna be back out there now, right?" the Ostian prince asked, taking another bite of his food.

Kiran frowned, and shook his head. "Not yet." He repeated what Lucius had told him, and Hector shared his frown.

"Damn," he grunted. "That blows. Well, nothing to worry about, bud. You can count on us."

He smiled. "I trust you, Hector. I know you'll help take care of things."

Hector grinned, and moved to clap Kiran on the shoulder, but stopped at the last second with a guilty look on his face. "I'll, uh, leave you to it, then. It'll fly by, Kiran, promise."

He left the room, leaving Kiran and Eirika alone. He munched on his food.

"You never finished what you were saying, Kiran," she said. "What's on your mind?"

He glanced over at her. "I've been thinking lately. I need to learn how to stop this from happening again."

"How do you want to do that?"

"Training, I hope," Kiran said. "I have the best teachers around, after all. If I can learn how to use a weapon, I can defend myself. I don't want to have to rely on all of you."

Eirika pondered that. "Isn't that what we're here for, though? To defend you and the kingdom?"

He struggled for the right words. "Yeah, and I appreciate that, but… well, it's not set in stone. Just a thought."

They were silent for some time, with the only noise in the mess hall being Kiran's chewing.

Out of nowhere, Matthew burst into the room. "Summoner!" he cried.

Kiran looked up in surprise. "What's going on?"

"It's the recon team. They just came back. Someone's out there."

Kiran groaned.  _Why now?_  He shoveled the last of his food into his mouth and Eirika helped him to his feet. Together, they followed Matthew toward the main hall of the building.

The sight that was waiting for them was a shocking one. Kagero, Jaffar, Gaius, and Sothe were there, but they were quite injured. A small group of healers was helping them as Kiran, Eirika, and Matthew entered the room. The team looked up when they did.

"What happened?!" Kiran asked, surprised.

"The latest target," Kagero said bitterly. "She noticed us."

Kiran looked at each one in turn. "Did you see who it was?"

The other three looked at Jaffar, who wore an uncharacteristic scowl. Unlike his usual facial expressions, this had genuine anger behind it.

"Jaffar?" Kiran asked warily.

He took a moment to speak. "Ursula," he spat finally. "The Blue Crow."

That made sense, he supposed. Of all those who may recognize a stealth-based team, an assassin with experience – and one who had previously worked with Jaffar, to boot – would be the most likely to do so. Kiran took another step forward and examined their wounds. He recognized what he saw instantly, from previous experience – poison-coated daggers. A weak poison, but poison nonetheless. Something to prepare for, that was for sure.

"Better suit up," he said.

Everyone in the room stared at him in shock, and he looked around at them. "What? This is the perfect time to strike! She wouldn't be expecting us to try again so soon. The faster we get back, the better."

"Kiran-" Eirika started, before she was cut off.

"Don't start. There's no time to argue. We need to move  _now_."

"I am  _not_  letting you risk your life out there again!" she argued. "You're not ready to be in the battlefield!"

"Eirika, please," he replied, frustrated. "There's no time for this. I'm going whether or not you, or Lucius, or  _anyone_ else tries to stop me."

She watched him helplessly. "Fine. But I'm coming."

He started to protest, but she held up one hand. "If I can't stop you from going, I'll at least protect you from harm. You said so yourself, right? No time to convince you, and no time to convince me."

He considered that. "Alright, I guess I don't have a choice."

Jaffar started forward again once they were done with their argument. "Summoner."

Kiran looked back at him, urging him to continue.

"I'm going as well."

Kiran nodded. In a way, it was good to see Jaffar feel something, even if it was a desire for revenge. "I know. Let's do this."

{asterisks}

Kiran quickly got his last two team members together – Cecilia and Amelia – and the group of five started making their way toward the northwestern reaches of Askr. No matter how hard they tried, however, Cecilia's steed wouldn't allow Kiran on her back, so he walked.

A building came into view this time. It seemed unassuming, but Jaffar stopped the group. They had arrived.

"There's only one entrance?" Kiran asked. The assassin nodded. The five crowded around the walls near the entrance, and after a moment, Jaffar stepped in front of the opening.

Almost immediately, he ducked to the ground. Something whizzed past Kiran's ear and embedded itself in a nearby tree; a dagger. Even from this distance, Kiran could see the venom that it was coated with. He chanced a quick look inside; all was dark. The summoner couldn't see two feet in front of his face.

Out of nowhere, a voice echoed from the blackness. It was a haughty female voice, augmented somehow to make it sound even more sinister than it already would. It laughed.

"Tell me…" Ursula said. "Are you afraid to die?"

Kiran couldn't stop a shudder from running through him, and quickly got himself together. He signaled Amelia to enter next and she did, holding her axe partly in front of her face.

She looked a little silly like that, but it was a good idea; it left her enough room to see (what little she could, anyway, through the blackness), and her armor would protect her from the attacks. The only way she would be in any trouble would be if the dagger went through her eye.

Kiran shuddered again. If their aim was that good, his warriors wouldn't stand a chance anyway.

As he watched her walk, the whistling sound came again. The moment after felt like it lasted for an eternity, and Kiran held his breath, silently praying to whatever deity might be able to hear him. A moment later…

_Plink._

Kiran could've jumped for joy right then, but he restrained himself. They still had a fighting chance. Jaffar stealthily fell into step behind Amelia, and after another  _plink_ , leapt above her and threw several daggers forward into the darkness. Kiran heard a muffled grunt, then the sound of something hitting the floor. One down.

Jaffar quickly jumped back through the entrance, and Amelia took a few steps backward. That was the strategy; lure the enemy forward. Hopefully, it would work as well as Kiran wanted it to.

However, they waited for some time afterward, and nobody else appeared. At the ten-minute mark, Kiran's heart stopped pounding, and he looked at Cecilia. The mage lifted one hand, and a little ball of light appeared in it. She flicked it forward, and the sphere floated ahead lazily.

It lit up the dim surroundings, allowing for Kiran to see what was on the inside. He caught a glimpse of an armored knight, but as soon as it happened, the shadows seemed to meld and bend around the sphere of light. Soon, it was swallowed by the darkness. Kiran gulped, but he had seen enough. He ordered Cecilia to attack, and a group of spectral blades appeared behind her. They shot forward into the darkness without a sound. An echoed sound of pain was heard, followed by a heavy metallic  _clang_.

That was two.

Kiran gulped. With any luck, they were evenly matched now.

They started walking further into the building now. Amelia continued to lead the group, her steps uncertain but steady. Jaffar and Cecilia followed, and Eirika helped Kiran to take the rear.

His eyes began to adjust to the darkness around him, and he noticed the walls around him. The building seemed to be in a bit of disarray, and a few walls to his right were on the verge of crumbling. He could see – and feel – a few holes, and considered how he might take advantage of the terrain like this.

Kiran told the group to stop, and peered through one of the holes, just enough for him to see. He thought for a moment, and then pushed Eirika away from him. Without her support, he fell roughly to the ground.

A second later, the dagger embedded itself in the wall opposite to him. Without hesitation, Eirika thrusted her sword into the gap, and when she pulled it out, another muffled thump was heard.

She took a breath and helped him back up. "Are you alright?" she whispered.

"Fine," he replied. "But they'll be on their guard now. We need to be careful."

The group continued, their steps echoing eerily through the building. Kiran found himself jumping at just about every flicker of movement in his field of vision. They soon entered what seemed to be a larger room.

The darkness was working well; Kiran was more than a little rattled. In fact, he was so distracted, he almost didn't notice the sound of galloping hooves coming in his direction.

A split second later, the swordfighter launched his attack. He came in at a breakneck pace, aiming right for Cecilia, but Jaffar leapt in front of her and caught the strike on a pair of daggers. In response, the valkyrie quickly conjured another set of magical blades. Due to the haste in which she cast the spell, the blades were launched haphazardly, but she still managed to hit the horse, which let out a pained whinny and fell to the ground.

The rider expertly used the momentum caused by the falling horse to launch an aerial attack at the mage, but Amelia held her axe up in his way, and he crashed right into it. The soldier hit the ground in a crumpled heap, and Jaffar rushed in to finish the job before he could regain his senses.

Kiran watched with narrowed eyes, and was silent for a long time.

"What is it?" Eirika asked.

"This seems too easy," he answered, loud enough for the others to hear. "I think she's toying with us."

Jaffar nodded gravely in response.

"How…  _perceptive_  of you." Ursula's voice echoed all around them, as if there were three of her speaking at once. Kiran jumped.

"Leave me here," he told Eirika. "I can still command everybody, and you might have to fight.

She bit her lip, whispered her assent, and eased him down so he was sitting against the wall. The four warriors formed a circle around him, ready for what might come.

A moment later, the darkness lifted. Sunlight streamed through the cracks and holes in the building's walls, and Kiran could see more clearly. He probably should've been thankful for this, but what he saw frightened him even more.

There were two figures standing in front of the warriors, on the other side of the room. Even from this distance, in the dim light, he could see that one was the Blue Crow herself. She walked forward with a bit of a sway to her generous hips, and Kiran coughed quietly and looked away, suddenly feeling  _very_  thankful for his baggy robe. Libido will out, he thought, even in a situation like this.

A rich laugh rolled from Ursula's throat and she held up both hands. "The time for games is over," she said, and two flickers of flame appeared in her palms. The other figure standing behind her mimicked her stance, and the room was a bit brighter.

Jaffar threw one dagger at her, quick as a whip, but she batted it out of the air without a second thought.

Cecilia raised one arm in response, gathering energy in the air, and Jaffar took another pair of daggers in his hands. Eirika and Amelia took defensive stances, preparing for whatever might be thrown at them.

A moment later, a sadistic smile stretched across Ursula's face, and the fire in her hands arced through the air to form in front of her, aided by the other mage standing behind her. The three balls of flame hit the ground at the same time, and quickly grew into a trio of ferocious-looking spectral wolves.

Ursula's expression changed to one of deep concentration, and she took a few steps back, eyes never wavering from the scene as the great beasts charged.

They bounded across the floor toward the group. Jaffar quickly leapt in front and threw the daggers in his hands at the beasts, and it was a great shot. One went through an eye and another drove itself against one leg, but they shot through the wolves harmlessly and bounced against the ground.

Kiran swore loudly. "Cecilia, I'm counting on you!"

She loosed the energy she had gathered, spectral swords launching toward the approaching wolves. A few hit, but they were glancing blows, and the rest were dodged easily. The great beasts were barely slowed.

The first two jumped at Eirika and Jaffar, who were quick enough to dodge, but Amelia wasn't so lucky. The wolf ripped through her leg, and the young knight cried out in pain.

This was new. Kiran's mind was racing. His only option was to take out the two mages controlling the beasts, but this was looking less and less likely, considering the offensive prowess of the wolves.

His orders were quick; Cecilia would use her magic to try and take care of the beasts, Eirika would distract them, and Amelia and Jaffar would go for the mages directly. The young assassin darted forward first, going right for Ursula without a sound. Amelia hesitated for a moment, and moved forward. Kiran could see her stumble a bit; the attack she had taken must've caused some unseen damage. He had to end this battle as fast as he could.

Luckily, Jaffar was doing an excellent job of that. As he rushed toward Ursula, the other mage stepped in his path, and one of the spectral beasts rushed toward Jaffar.

It didn't make it. The assassin cut the mage's throat with a single swift movement, and the wolf shimmered and disappeared. The Blue Crow herself was the only one left.

She didn't take her eyes off the battlefield. Rather, she moved her hands, and one of the beasts reversed and bounded at Jaffar. He chanced a look behind him, and in that moment, Ursula dodged out of the way, forcing him to turn.

The wolf was upon him, and Jaffar was too focused on dodging out of the way of it to try and attack Ursula. Kiran watched in frustration. Amelia had made it to the Blue Crow by now, but despite her strength, Ursula was fast enough to dodge her strikes.

In that moment, Kiran noticed something; the two remaining wolves were slowing down. The beasts' fighting prowess must've been tied to Ursula's concentration. Cecilia took the chance, launching her spectral blades in Ursula's direction. The Blue Crow noticed and tried to dodge, but between Amelia's axe and the fast-approaching blades, she was unable to avoid a hit. One of Cecilia's projectiles clipped her shoulder, and her expression twisted in pain.

Eirika took the chance now, sprinting forward with her sword aimed directly at Ursula. The mage leapt backward, but the strike caught her shoulder. Ursula faltered again, and one of the wolves vanished. Eirika stepped back a bit, and Jaffar rushed ahead this time, expertly throwing a dagger into the Blue Crow's stomach.

It wasn't particularly deep, and the dagger fell out after a moment, but Ursula clutched the wound and fell to the ground. Her face twisted in surprise and pain, as well as another emotion Kiran didn't expect – resignation. Jaffar stepped forward again, grabbing the fallen dagger, and stood over Ursula.

"Jaffar," Kiran warned.

Before he could say another word, Ursula's eyes snapped forward, and the one remaining wolf bounded toward Kiran.

The summoner watched with wide eyes as a figure sprinted in between them. Eirika shielded Kiran from the wolf's attack, and as he watched, it sunk its fangs into Eirika's stomach. She screamed horribly and fell as the wolf finally dissipated.

Kiran stared, unable to comprehend what he saw, before he crawled over to her. She still breathed, which was a good sign. He looked up at Ursula; Amelia had taken the tome out of her hands. He kneeled in front of the princess and placed her head in his lap, ignoring the dull pain in his legs.

"Eirika," he said in a choked whisper. "Eirika, please…"

Her eyes fluttered open, half-lidded, and she lifted one hand to caress his cheek. Her face was deathly pale. "Are you safe…?"

Tears dripped from Kiran's eyes, and he nodded. "I'm fine… I-I can't…"

Eirika smiled. "I'll live… Y-You won't have to worry about me…"

Kiran leaned down and gently laid a kiss to her lips. She sighed quietly, and closed her eyes. Her breath was shallow, but still there.

Kiran called Cecilia over, and after a short conversation, Eirika was bathed in a soft dim light. Without a staff, her healing magic wasn't as potent as it could've been, but Eirika would be fine for a while. He hoped.

Kiran took a deep breath, and Amelia walked over to offer him a shoulder. He stalked toward Ursula, taking the tome along the way.

Jaffar was already standing over her, the fallen dagger in his hand. There was rage in his eyes.

"Jaffar," Kiran said quietly, putting one hand on his shoulder. "Don't kill her."

Both Jaffar and Ursula looked at Kiran in surprise. "She hurt Nino," Jaffar whispered.

"I know," Kiran said.

"She hurt Nino," Jaffar repeated, a little louder. His voice was a bit angrier. "I saw it."

It took him a moment to realize that Jaffar was talking about his own world. "She hurt Eirika too," Kiran said. "But don't kill her."

Ursula let out a harsh laugh, and a cough. "Fool," she said.

"Not so," Kiran replied. "If I weren't here right now, you'd be dead."

"So would your soldiers."

"Perhaps. But I'm not talking about them right now. I'm talking about you."

Ursula raised one eyebrow, and said nothing.

"You owe me your life."

She snarled and looked away.

"Just now, Ursula, I spoke three words and saved your life. Would you leave a debt unpaid?"

She was silent for some time. As she mulled it over, Cecilia bathed her body in the same dim light as she did Eirika.

"Now it's twofold," Kiran said.

Ursula's eyes narrowed. "What would you offer me?"

"You'll join our army and aid us in the war," he said. "And I'll send you home afterwards."

Ursula stared into his eyes. He suddenly got the feeling that she was looking  _through_  his eyes, staring into his very soul. The feeling made him quite uncomfortable, but he didn't look away.

"Fine," she said finally. Her voice lowered into a seductive-sounding purr. "There is a certain aura about you… I may have joined you in any case."

He stood, satisfied, and Amelia helped him back over to Eirika. The knight picked her up as though she weighed nothing, helped her onto Cecilia's steed, and the group of six returned to the Order of Heroes.

{asterisks}

After that was done, the trip back seemed like a blur. Kiran didn't pay much attention to what happened as they returned, but when they entered the Order again, he saw Nino. She ran up to him with a smile.

"Hi, Kiran!" she said happily. "Jaffar's with you, right? I've been looking for him."

Kiran looked over. "Yeah, he's here," he replied with a forced grin.

Before Jaffar could step forward, another voice sounded. "Is that… Nino?"

Ursula stepped out in front, and looked down at Nino. Kiran shot her a glare, and the look of disdain she was going to give the young girl quickly morphed into an extremely forced smile.

Nino, in response, stared back up at Ursula's face with wide eyes. Kiran could tell she was struggling for a response, and he elbowed Ursula, hoping that she would say something.

"O-Oh, Nino!" she said. Her smile was a bit too wide. "It's so… good to see you!" There was a moment of hesitation before she added "Darling."

She reached one hand down, and Nino flinched. Kiran felt a pang of sadness shoot through him when he saw that movement, but Ursula laid her palm on the young mage's head and tousled her hair. It wasn't a particularly good act, Kiran could see, but Nino was eating it up. Her eyes sparkled, and she gaped up at the Blue Crow. The summoner was certain that Nino had never seen her act like this before.

"Miss Ursula…?" she asked. "I thought you…"

"Oh, Nino…" Ursula said, with an  _extremely_  uncharacteristic giggle. "You're such a s-sweet little thing. Jaffar is right here, you see? I need to talk to some people right now."

Nino nodded with a bright smile. "Okay! Come on, Jaffar! See you later, Miss Ursula!"

The young mage grabbed his hand, and dragged him off in another direction. Ursula glared at Kiran, who had a wide grin on his face. It was much more genuine than the last one.

"Excellent," he said. "Your act needs a bit of work, but I'm sure you'll figure it out in time."

The Blue Crow scoffed. "I almost wish you killed me. It would've been easier."

"Anyway," Kiran continued, as if she hadn't spoken. "Someone will be around to find accommodations for you. In the meantime…"

"Kiran!"

He looked up. Ephraim was coming toward him. Wow, what a coincidence.

"You wanted to see me?"

Kiran nodded gravely, and Ephraim offered him a shoulder. He filled the prince in on the situation while they walked to the infirmary.

Ephraim's jaw was set. "Do you know if she'll be alright?"

Kiran hesitated. "I'm not sure. I don't know exactly what Ursula did to her. I wanna see if Lucius might have an idea."

Ephraim nodded. "And… you brought this woman here because…?"

Kiran sighed. This was the part he was dreading. "Ephraim-"

"No, Kiran, you listen to me," Ephraim said. He kept one hand on the summoner's shoulder as they stopped walking. "I've trusted you with my life and more so far, and I've kept quiet when you started bringing these people into our ranks. Even Valter. But this Ursula… she may have been a damned saint in her world. I don't know, and I don't care either. This woman nearly  _killed_  my sister. For all I know right now, she  _did_  kill her. She could be lying in some bed, having her life sucked away." He paused. "I know how you feel about Eirika, so how can you bring this woman here?"

Kiran started to protest, but Ephraim stopped him again. "And don't hand me another line about how it's for the good of the army. You know as well as I do that the war has been going just fine right now. You  _know_  that we're working on Surtr's weakness. Tell. Me. Why."

In that moment, the prince scared him. Kiran supposed that he himself probably would've felt the same way, if their roles were switched. He struggled to find the right words.

"Take your time, Kiran," Ephraim said. His voice had a deadly calm tone to it. "I'm a patient man. Do you plan to turn your back on my sister? I saw the way you were looking at Ursula back there."

His eyes widened. "No! No, no, no,  _gods_ , no. The thought didn't even cross my mind." Which was true. It had crossed somewhere else. "I'm  _happy_  with Eirika. I wouldn't dream of it."

"Then why?"

Kiran clutched at his hair. "Gods… would you believe me if I said I was still thinking of the army?"

The prince scoffed and shook his head. "The road to hell is paved with good intentions, Kiran. You'll need something better than that."

Kiran was about to protest when a thought struck him. "Hang on. What about you?"

Ephraim raised an eyebrow quizzically.

"In your world," Kiran clarified. "What did you and your army do after you saved Magvel?"

Ephraim knitted his brow. "What does-"

"Answer me."

Ephraim thought. "We… went back to our lives. Every once in a while, though, there would be reports of another outbreak of monsters, somehow. When it happened, a few of us banded together and protected the townspeople from them."

Kiran nodded. "Uh-huh. What about the tower?"

"The tower where Frelia housed its Sacred Stone? We went through there as well. Monsters had infested the place, and we tried to turn it back into something that Frelia could salvage."

"And didn't you meet some people there? People who you thought had died? And didn't you add those people to your own army?"

Ephraim's expression turned dark.

"And wasn't one of them Valter?"

"That was different," the prince replied quietly.

"Was it? You heard what happened when he first came here, right? Eirika broke right down just by  _looking_  at the guy. Did it happen in your world?"

"He was a  _shade!_ " Ephraim protested. "It wasn't Valter, it was a restless spirit who offered to fight for us! Valter was dead! In my world, he still is!"

"A restless spirit that looked, fought, and sounded exactly like him? You're acting like a complete hypocrite, Ephraim. You have no room to talk about how I run things."

Ephraim was visibly furious, and for a moment, Kiran thought he would strike him.

Then the look disappeared, and Ephraim laughed. It wasn't a particularly loud or boisterous laugh, but he laughed all the same. Kiran stared.

"Gods…" Ephraim said. "Look at us. My sister's in a bed in the infirmary right now. She could be dying for all we know, but we're arguing like an old married couple."

At that, Kiran cracked a smile too. He couldn't help it. "Truce?" he asked.

"Consider it done," Ephraim said.

They finished the walk to the infirmary in silence. By the time they got there, the laughing mood was gone, and was replaced with a pit in their stomachs.

Lucius was waiting for them. To Kiran's surprise, Amelia was in the room as well; he had forgotten that she had taken a hit too.

Before they could even ask, Lucius said "She'll live."

They let out the breath that they had both been holding. "Gods… thanks, Lucius," Kiran said. He felt a quick pang of guilt. "I'm sorry about this morning…"

Lucius shook his head. "I've already forgiven you, Summoner. But we have more pressing matters at hand."

Kiran nodded gravely, and followed Lucius into the room. Amelia was out of her armor – the summoner was amazed that such a small, frail-looking girl as her was able to walk around in that heavy armor, but looks could be deceiving – and was lying on one bed. She was pale, and had a jagged scar across one leg, but otherwise seemed fine.

Eirika was a different story. Where Amelia was pale, Eirika was white as a ghost, and her breathing was still shallow. A cold sweat had broken out across her body, but her temperature was still normal, and there were no visible wounds on her body. Kiran and Ephraim watched her frame on the bed worriedly.

"Amelia explained what happened, but I'm not certain what she's afflicted with," Lucius explained. "Neither is Genny. I called-"

"Yes?"

Their heads whipped toward the door, where Robin was standing. He stepped into the room with a look of concern. "So what happened to her?"

Kiran brought him up to speed. "I'd never seen the spell before," he said, shuddering. "It seemed brutal."

Robin had a look of deep thought on this face. "I've read about this. They're called the wolf hexes…" He paused. "What colours were they?"

Kiran furrowed his brow.

"Just work with me," Robin continued before he could ask. "It's important."

"Green and blue, then. The blue one was what hit Eirika."

Robin bit his lip. "That'd do it, then."

"They're different?"

Robin pulled up another chair. "Basically, the different colours have different effects. All of them are able to deal damage to a person, no matter any armor. Rauðrwolf is the most basic one, and does mostly physical damage to a person. It's the equivalent of an actual wolf attacking you. Gronnwolf is the next one, and it balances the three. It doesn't just hurt the user's body, it also causes damage to the soul."

Kiran's eyes widened. "The soul?"

Robin nodded. "That seems to be the one that Amelia got hit with."

Ephraim leaned back, crossing his arms. "And the last one?"

Robin looked at Eirika gravely. "Blárwolf. I'd argue that Gronnwolf is the most devastating overall, but… where did she get hit?"

Kiran closed his eyes and thought back to that moment. "It bit her stomach…"

The tactician bit his lip. "Blárwolf inflicts damage exclusively to the soul. It leaves no obvious physical marks. With enough time, the spell would tear up the target from the inside without spilling a single drop of blood. A weapon that targets your soul is more akin to the pain you feel when you lose a loved one, but amplified because it's happening all at once."

Lucius walked over now. "A soul-targeting spell?"

Robin nodded. "That's what I've read."

The monk turned to Kiran and Ephraim. "This is trickier. A physical symptom is something that can be treated with time and medicine, but a mark on the soul is much more difficult."

Kiran frowned. "You sound like you have experience."

Lucius got a pained look on his face, and glanced in another direction. "I do. A fair amount of personal experience."

Kiran fidgeted in his chair, feeling uncomfortable now, as Ephraim asked "Can you help her?"

"To date… there is no definite way to quickly treat a wounded soul. But there are some known facts. Given enough time, a person's soul will heal on its own, and I have some… theories."

"Shoot," Kiran said. "Whatever would help."

Lucius closed his eyes for a moment, clearly deep in thought. "I believe that her soul would rejuvenate more easily if she were to experience joy. Little things that bring her happiness, I believe, would speed up the healing process. Even then, though, it could take quite a bit of time…"

Ephraim waved his hand impatiently. "We have time. That's nothing to worry about."

"The amount of time also varies between people. Now, I didn't interact with her much, so I must ask the two of you… do you believe that Princess Eirika is happy?"

The prince nodded without a second thought. Kiran took a moment to think and found that he agreed.

"In that case, her recovery should be swifter than most, but she should stay in the bed. Although she's not dying, her body will be weak due to the current state her soul is in."

Kiran nodded. "I wouldn't dream of sending her into the battlefield in a condition like this."

"I hoped you would say that," Lucius said with a light smile. "I've told you all there is to tell, but for now, I think she needs rest."

Ephraim got up and started toward the door. Kiran stayed in his chair.

"You go on," he said. "I wanna stay with her for a little while."

Ephraim nodded. "I'll wait outside."

They left the room, and Kiran was alone with her. He took her hand in his, gently massaging it. She was a bit colder than usual, but otherwise, it was hard to tell that something was wrong.

"Gods, Eirika…" he whispered. "I'm so sorry this happened…"

After a moment, her eyes slowly opened. She seemed a bit dazed, and he had to lean down close to her face to hear what she said. "It's not your fault…" she murmured. She watched him, her eyes glassy.

Tears formed at the corners of his eyes. "If I hadn't insisted on going…"

She shook her head gently. "Don't blame yourself, Kiran… I made my choice… and I don't regret it…"

There was another short sentence, four simple words, that he knew was on her tongue, and in his mind, he begged for her not to say it.

He didn't know whether or not she would've, but he spoke before she had a chance to. "I'm just happy you're alive…"

She didn't reply at first. Then he took her hand in both of his and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. He leaned down again and pressed another to her lips, and quietly murmured "I love you" as he pulled away.

Eirika looked back up at him and smiled. There was another sentence of four words, different from the last, that he knew was on her mind now. He kept his face close to hers so he could hear the words when they finally came out.

"I love you too."


	5. Xander

"Kiran."

Kiran looked up from his food. Camilla was standing there. She gestured to the chair next to him. "May I?"

He nodded, and she sat. "What's up?" he asked.

She clasped her hands together worriedly. "How are your injuries?"

He quirked an eyebrow. That wasn't what he expected, but whatever. This  _was_  Camilla, after all. "Pretty good. It's been a few weeks, so there's still some pain, but I can walk on my own. Definitely better than before."

"Oh, that's wonderful news!" she said happily, pulling him into a hug. His face landed right in her chest, as usual. This used to fluster the summoner, but he'd gotten used to it after Camilla had been around for a while. She was a fairly tall woman, so it wasn't like she was doing it on purpose.

Probably.

"I'll still have the scars for a while," he added after she released him. "Did you just wanna check on me?"

Camilla gave him a warm smile. "Of course! I must ensure that my darling Kiran is in good health! You're nearly as important to me as my siblings!"

It was contagious. Kiran couldn't help but smile back. "Much obliged, Camilla. I'm doing fine for now, but I appreciate the concern."

She tousled his hair, and left the room.

He smiled after her. He'd heard some unsavory rumors about Camilla, but as far as he'd seen, none of them were true. She was pleasant enough to him.

In fact, so were the other Nohrian siblings. Leo may have been somewhat blunt and rude when he was first summoned, but he and Kiran had warmed to each other eventually. And Elise was such a bundle of joy, it always brightened his day when he saw her.

He frowned. There was still the matter of Xander.

Kiran could understand Xander's motivations for staying with Veronica, for sure, but it still bothered him that even after seeing his siblings again, he wouldn't come over to their side. Strange man, that one. It felt as though he was two different people sometimes; the Xander that Kiran had met in battle seemed like a wholly changed man from the one that the Nohrian siblings had told him about.

He thought and thought about it, mulling over how strange it was. It made Kiran wish that he had found Xander before Veronica – something that had crossed his mind before. But you can't change the past, he supposed.

As he thought, he wandered, and eventually found himself in front of the Order's bulletin board. Someone had the idea to create one not too long ago, and the idea was a big hit; the board was so covered in various portraits, messages, and articles that the wood it was fashioned from was barely visible.

 _Might as well check it_ , he thought. He perused the board. A few new things were on it since the last time he'd seen it; there was a notice about the upcoming Spring Festival, an anonymous note that simply read "Shut up, Tobin" (which Kiran thought was probably justified), and a second note that was a bit more interesting. The penmanship wasn't very good, leaving Kiran wondering who might've written it, but he read it all the same.

_For the ordr ov heros, i hav seen a man too the north. He road a horss and had a weerd weppin. He wus dresd in blak and had blond har. He wus varee scaree, and i thot yoo mit wont too no. Thank yoo for lissening._

A citizen, apparently, and a child by the looks of the letter (at least, he hoped it was a child). This wasn't terribly common, but it was one of the reasons the bulletin board was built in the first place; the townspeople in various regions of Askr tended to hear things, and one of the Order's responsibilities was to help them out.

Either way, the note got his hopes up. That was a very accurate description of Xander, so it was definitely a good idea to prepare.

He considered sending out his recon squad, but decided against. There was no doubt that Veronica would be looking to get him back. He had to bring the prince over to Askr's side before she had a chance to. There was no time to waste.

Well… maybe a little.  _I'll check on Eirika and then head out,_  he thought.

Kiran walked to the infirmary, but stopped at the door.

Someone was already there.

He had one of her hands clasped between his own like a lover would, but there was nothing romantic in the gesture. Kiran could see his lips moving, and heard whispers, but couldn't make out the words. The lustful grin on the man's face, however, didn't exactly inspire confidence.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Kiran asked coldly.

Valter looked up at him, expression unchanging. "Why, I was just paying a visit to Princess Eirika,  _boy_ ," he purred.

Kiran looked at her face. She was asleep, thank goodness. "Get out," he said simply.

Valter chuckled, and didn't move a muscle. "I think not, little man. I intend to stay here until I'm satisfied."

Kiran gritted his teeth. "No. You're getting out right now, and getting  _away_  from her, or else you'll regret it." Thinking quickly, he raised Breidablik and pointed it at Valter.

The warrior rose to his full height, and looked down at Kiran. "What do you intend to do with that thing?"

"Haven't I told you? This is my weapon," Kiran replied. "It'll be your parting gift." A faint memory flickered in his mind, and he kept talking. "As in, it'll part you. Y'know, part of you here, part of you there…"

The bluff might work. Valter had never been present for a summoning session, so there was no way for him to know what Breidablik could actually do.

The warrior's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing.

"Get. Out," Kiran said firmly. "If I catch you anywhere near her again, you won't get another warning."

Valter casually strolled past him out the door. "You won't catch me next time," he muttered as he left, just loud enough for Kiran to hear.

He shuddered, but shook it off and took a different seat by Eirika's side. She was still sound asleep. Kiran thought for a moment, bit his lip in worry, and looked under the covers.

Her clothes were still on, and she seemed to be alright. He breathed a gentle sigh of relief and replaced the blankets.

He laid a gentle kiss on her forehead, thankful that she was safe. As he watched, Eirika stirred, frowning, and her eyes slowly opened.

"How do you feel?" he asked softly.

She watched him with a vague expression. "Fine…"

The state she was in still worried him, but he could rest easy knowing that she would be better after enough time.

He smiled down at her. "I'm going away for a while, alright? I'll be back in a few hours."

She nodded. He leaned down again, and she kissed him weakly.

He pulled back, murmured a goodbye, and left the room. There was one more thing to do before he set out now.

It didn't take long for him to track down the prince, who, as usual, was training. "Hector," he said.

The Ostian prince gave him a sideways glance. His opponent, Fir, quickly exploited the distraction, closing the distance and giving him a strong kick. It wasn't enough to topple him on its own, but his heavy armor caused Hector to overbalance quickly, and he fell. She placed the tip of the training sword to his throat with a wide grin.

"I win again, Lord Hector," she gloated.

Hector grumbled and swore under his breath. "Same time tomorrow," he grunted.

Fir's grin grew wider, and she walked off. There was the faintest skip in her step.

"How many times has she beaten you now?" Kiran asked. "Nineteen?"

"Seventeen," Hector corrected. "I don't get it. Has Lilina been sharing my techniques?!"

Kiran smiled, and Hector walked with him. "So what's up?" he asked.

Kiran was silent for several seconds before recounting what he witnessed in the infirmary.

Hector's expression quickly turned to anger. "You have  _got_  to be kidding me, Kiran! I don't know how you can-"

Kiran raised a hand to interrupt him. "Save it. I  _know_ , Hector. I know what you're saying, but I'm in a hurry. Just… stay with her, alright? I want someone guarding her at all times."

Hector grumbled a bit. He was fine with his new duties, but frustrated at Kiran's lack of action. "Fine. One condition."

"You want me to do something about Valter," he guessed.

Hector nodded. "I don't care what it is, but just do  _something_. He can't stay here, dammit."

Kiran nodded, rubbing at his face with one hand. "I know. Soon as I get back, promise."

Hector studied his face. "You better. If you really care about Eirika…"

"I  _know_ , Hector. I don't need the lecture. Just watch her." He paused for a moment. "Please. I'd trust you with my life, and I'm trusting you with hers."

Hector nodded, and took his place next to her bed.

Kiran watched as he did it. Eirika looked at him in apparent confusion, but didn't ask any questions.

Now that that ordeal was over, it was time to round up his troops. The first three were easy – obviously, he'd want Camilla, Elise, and Leo – but the last was a bit of a tougher decision. Some part of him said Corrin had a right to go just as much as the Nohrian siblings, but a bigger part decided against it. Who knew, maybe Xander had come from a world where Corrin had chosen Hoshido. That probably wouldn't end well. Besides, something about Corrin just rubbed Kiran the wrong way.

As he pondered this, he happened upon a certain mage knight. "Summoner," Reinhardt greeted.

"Reinhardt!" he blurted in reply. That would be perfect, actually. "I didn't realize you were out of the infirmary."

"My ribs are a bit tender," the mage knight replied. "But yes, I am fit to leave now."

The opportunity was too good to pass up. "How would you like to join us on a mission today?"

Reinhardt blinked. "Now?"

Kiran nodded. "I've got a good feeling about this one. It won't be like the last two, I know it."

"Of course," he replied. "I'm yours to guide."

Kiran's mouth split into a grin. "Great. Suit up. We're leaving as soon as we can."

The mage knight nodded, and started off in the other direction.

"Reinhardt."

He turned. Kiran was giving him another smile; a bit smaller, but happier. "It's good to have you back."

"You will not be without me, Kiran," Reinhardt replied, smiling as well. "I owe you a great many things. You have given me knowledge that I thought would always be out of my reach, and for that I must thank you."

Kiran's smile grew a little, and he held up his fist. Reinhardt's expression turned to confusion.

"Right…" Kiran said. "Forgot you wouldn't know. It's a fist bump. Uh… a gesture of understanding between friends, I guess you'd call it."

Reinhardt formed a fist in response, and Kiran bopped their knuckles together. "Yeah, that's it. Anyway, go to the main hall once you're ready. We're leaving soon!"

With that, he turned and ran off. Reinhardt was left standing in the corridor, staring after him with a hint of confusion still on his face.

After a moment, he returned to getting prepared.

 _Friends…_  he thought.

Yes, he supposed. That was what they were.

{asterisks}

Back in the main hall, the group of five were all ready to leave. Everyone checked on their supplies, and Kiran was about to exit when…

"Summoner, may I talk to you for a moment?"

He turned. It was Leo. Kiran nodded for him to go on.

"In private."

The summoner was a bit confused at that, but obliged. They walked a short distance away from the rest of the group. "What's up?" Kiran asked.

Leo hesitated. "Why have you gathered my siblings and I?"

"No reason in particular," Kiran replied immediately, trying to stay cool. "It just sort of happened."

"…You aren't a very good liar."

Kiran swore under his breath.

"It's Xander, isn't it?"

Kiran nodded. "Yes. There's still a chance that I'm wrong, so I didn't want to give you false hope."

Leo nodded. "What if it's not him?"

"Then we fight," Kiran said promptly. "But I'm positive it's him."

The prince thought. "Alright. I hope we can bring our brother home."

Kiran shook his hand, and turned back to the group. "Alright!" he said, clapping his hands together. "Let's head off." He started out when there was  _another_  voice behind him.

"Oh, Kiran…?"

Camilla was the speaker this time. "Would you like to ride with me?"

He blinked. "Um… I appreciate the offer, but I'd better walk. It'd be good for my legs."

"But aren't we in a hurry?" she pointed out. "We all have mounts… we'll make it there faster if you ride with one of us."

He hadn't thought of that. "Alright, that'll do, then."

Camilla let out a pleased sound, and helped Kiran hoist himself onto the back of her wyvern.

"Hold on tight, darling!" Camilla cooed.

Without warning, the wyvern was off like a shot. The three horses followed, but Camilla soared ahead of them, laughing. Kiran's eyes were about the size of dinner plates, and he held onto his fellow rider's waist tightly. The beast performed a loop, and Kiran let out a noise that was  _definitely_  not a terrified scream.

"Which way are we going?" Camilla shouted over the howling wind.

Kiran tried to get his thoughts straight through the sheer terror he felt, but he was a bit disoriented. He couldn't believe what he was about to say. "Go up!" he shouted back. "I need to be able to see!"

She obliged. The wyvern rose in an arc that somehow seemed graceful, as high as it could go. Kiran could see for miles.

The wyvern hovered in place, and Kiran scanned their surroundings. He knew it wasn't really the time, but he couldn't help but notice just how great the view was. Askr was a land mostly made up of rolling green plains, and he could really appreciate the land's beauty from so high up.

He looked closely, trying to see his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was the Order of Heroes, to their left. That meant… he looked to the right. He could  _just_  make out a trio of tiny dots – Leo, Elise, and Reinhardt, he hoped – moving together. Just ahead of them was another group, twice as large.

He pointed. "There!" he yelled. "That's it!"

Camilla nodded. "Hold on tight!" she replied.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and she flew into a dive, laughing. Kiran watched the ground get closer and closer, and the wyvern eventually straightened itself as they flew directly towards the site.

Eventually, they arrived, and the wyvern flapped its wings a few times to brake. It planted its feet on the ground, and Kiran hopped off. He grunted at the pain, shaking a bit, and took a few deep breaths.

"How was that?" Camilla giggled.

Kiran's breath was shaky. "I-I think I'd rather s-stay on the ground, thanks."

He looked around at the other three around him. "Standard trip, I take it?"

Reinhardt nodded. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

That was good. "Alright. Let's do this."

He walked the last few steps to the battlefield. When he arrived, however, there was an unexpected sight. There was a warrior there, speaking with the group behind him. He was indeed on horseback, with a strange weapon in his hands. And he was clad in black armor and had wavy blonde hair.

But it wasn't Xander.

There was a large coat over his armor, and he had a longer cape. His eyes were a different colour as well. In addition, the weapon he held wasn't a dark-imbued sword, but a wicked-looking lance.

Kiran watched him in confusion. "That's…"

"Not him," Leo finished quietly.

The knight had noticed them by now. "Who are you?" he asked.

"Sable Knight," Kiran greeted with a nod. "My name is Kiran. I come to you seeking your aid in our war."

Camus regarded him, expression blank. "So be it. First, however, I would test your convictions."

Kiran returned his gaze before looking back to the warriors. "What do we do?" Elise asked.

"It's obvious, isn't it?" Kiran replied. "We fight."

The group of four readied their weapons. Camus watched politely, only gripping his lance once his opponents were ready.

"Consider me tested," Kiran said. The battle began.

Camus charged immediately alongside his knights. Gradivus was aimed at Leo, but the knight was knocked aside by a quick bolt from Reinhardt. In return, Leo quickly lashed out with Brynhildr, and one of the axemen was forced backward. Camilla quickly flew in and finished him off, but not before taking a nasty hit herself. Elise rode in quickly and healed the wound as the older princess flew upwards, out of reach.

Reinhardt directed another pair of lightning bolts toward one of the mages, who responded in kind. An explosion erupted at the mage knight's feet, and he barely got out of the way in time. Elise, once again, rode in to heal him as Reinhardt and Leo attacked in tandem to finish off the enemy.

As this happened, another mage came out of nowhere and launched a bolt at Elise. She noticed just in time, and it grazed her instead of hitting her full-on. She raised her staff, and a purple light shone out of it. The light chased down the mage, and the man shouted. A second later, the section of bridge that he was standing on cracked, then broke, and the warrior and his horse were swept into the river below.

Camus' horse stepped away from the newly created hole in the bridge, and the knight watched Kiran's warriors warily. He raised Gradivus quickly, and threw it at Leo. The spear caught the prince's shoulder, and he was thrown off his horse with a loud grunt of pain. Elise rushed over quickly, but Camus got there first. He grabbed Gradivus once again, and rode away a bit. The young princess jumped off her horse, knelt next to Leo, and murmured an incantation. Kiran rushed over next to the two.

"Leo!" he said. "Leo, are you alright?"

His face was pale, and there was a decent-sized blood spatter on one side of him, but the wound was closing even as he watched.

"I'll be fine," he mumbled.

"Stay away from the main force," Kiran ordered. "Keep back here and don't push yourself."

The prince nodded, raised one hand, and whispered a few words. A tree erupted out of the ground right underneath the second axeman, and he was thrown into the river.

As they watched, Camilla chased down the healer that had stayed out of the action so far. She swung her axe, and the healer raised her staff. The blow chopped right through the staff, and the warrior followed soon after.

Camus looked at the two warriors currently flanking him, gritting his teeth. "I must admit… you're skilled."

"Much obliged," Kiran replied. "Is this enough for you?"

The Sable Knight shook his head. "You still have one enemy left to fell."

Kiran had to admire his dedication. "Alright, then. You're a worthy opponent, Camus."

With a shout of challenge, the Sable Knight raised Gradivus and rode toward Reinhardt. The mage's eyes widened a fraction, and he loosed a pair of lightning bolts. One landed, and it wasn't enough. Camus' mount slowed a fraction, but he kept charging. However, the attack gave Reinhardt enough time to dodge. Kiran breathed a sigh of relief.

Camus turned quickly, and charged again. Elise raised her staff, and the purple light flashed again. Kiran's eyes widened.

"NO!" he shouted, running forward, but the attack still landed. The bridge underneath Camus cracked, and Kiran poured on the speed.

The Sable Knight's eyes widened as the bridge crumbled. Kiran grabbed his hand as he fell. Camus dropped like a stone, still gripping Gradivus in his other hand, and Kiran's other hand took hold of the remaining edge of the bridge.

His body exploded with scarlet pain, and he howled. "H… help…!" he choked out. "I can't… can't hold on…!"

It wasn't even that Camus was especially heavy, although trying to hold him with one hand while also holding onto one end of a collapsed bridge was a fairly tall order. The effect of gravity on the knight was temporarily strengthened by Elise's staff, and although it didn't directly affect Kiran, he could certainly feel it pulling him down. Frankly, the summoner was amazed he could hold on at all.

Reinhardt dismounted and ran over to the ledge. Leo joined him a moment later. They both grabbed Kiran's arm and started trying to hoist him, but Elise's magic was still in effect. The mages weren't strong enough to lift both of them, and after a moment, Kiran's hand slipped. The summoner and the knight plunged toward the waters below.

Or, at least, they  _would've_  fallen to the waters below if Camilla hadn't swooped in a second later. Her wyvern had its wings tucked in, and it flew in a graceful arc that allowed the both of them to land on its back.

She flew back upward and landed on stable ground. Camus and Kiran rolled off its back, falling to their knees on the ground to catch their breath.

Before he could say a word, the wyvern rider pulled him into a tight hug. "Oh, Kiran!" she cried. "Are you hurt?!"

Kiran took a few deep breaths. "My arms…" he managed. "They hurt, but… I'm alive."

He looked to the Sable Knight, who had caught his breath and stood once again. "My apologies… Camus."

The knight shook his head. "Nothing to worry about. You saved my life, Kiran. I am indebted to you."

Kiran coughed once, and nodded. "So you'll join us?"

"I will. I believe a proper introduction is in order." He straightened fully, still gripping Gradivus with one arm. "My name is Camus of the Sable Order of Knights. I originally hail from Grust, but I am now at your service."

Kiran stood as well, holding out one hand. "I'm Kiran. Summoner and tactician for the Askrian Order of Heroes. I'm honored to have you by my side, Camus."

The knight shook Kiran's hand. "The honor is mine."

{asterisks}

After a profuse apology from Elise and a few reassurances that he was fine, the group of six started making their way back to the Order. Kiran declined Camilla's offer to ride on her wyvern again; he wanted to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground, thank you very much.

"Are you afraid of heights?" she had asked.

"Nothing of the sort," he had replied, blushing a little. "I just prefer to be down here."

She'd giggled, and he was positive that she had seen right through his lie, but she didn't tease him. For that, he was grateful.

The walk back was uneventful, but Marth was waiting when they returned to the Order. "Summoner," he greeted. "I got your letter. Camus is here?"

He nodded, stepping aside. The Sable Knight strode forward, stopping in front of Marth.

The young prince's face broke into a grin. "It is good to see you."

Camus cracked a smile as well. "Likewise, prince. I must say… I am pleased that we may fight together."

Kiran watched the two happily. A thought struck him, and he suddenly remembered his promise to Hector. As he turned to leave, he noticed Alm entering the room now.

He looked at Camus, surprised, and made his way toward the night. "Zeke?" he asked. "Zeke, is that you?"

Kiran's eyes widened, and he clamped one hand over Alm's mouth. Camus watched him, confused.

"Excuse us," Kiran said, dragging Alm off.

"What was that about?" Alm asked.

Kiran took a deep breath. This was starting to be a bit of a headache. "His name is Camus, Alm. Zeke is in his future." He gave Alm a short rundown on what would happen in his world.

Alm's face dawned with comprehension. "Ah… alright. Gotcha." He paused for a moment. "Camus… that's a pretty good name."

Kiran breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm trusting you to spread the word with the others from your world. Don't breathe a word to Camus about his future."

Alm nodded. "You can count on me."

The summoner grinned. "Thanks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go."

He rushed to the infirmary. Hector was still sitting there, and Eirika was asleep.

The prince looked up when Kiran walked in. "How'd it go?" he asked.

Kiran took a few breaths. "Pretty well. We didn't find who I was expecting to find, but got a new ally all the same."

Hector shook his head. "Not what I meant."

Kiran twiddled his thumbs. "I haven't gotten around to it yet."

Hector's eyes flashed. "Kiran-"

"I know!" he interrupted. "I know… just… have you seen him?"

"He passed by the door a few times while you were gone. Not sure where he went."

Kiran gulped, not excited about what he was to do.

"Thanks. I'll… I'll take care of it."

Hector's expression turned suspicious. A second later, it almost looked… worried? "Kiran, what's wrong?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong."

He left the room before Hector could say anything else. Kiran clutched his chest and took a few deep breaths, then began roaming the halls, searching for Valter. He made a quick stop along the way, but continued to search.

It took quite a bit of time, but Kiran eventually located the mad wyvern knight. He was alone, as usual, roaming the training grounds. His mount and his lance were nowhere to be seen, but there was a sheath on his belt. Kiran couldn't tell if there was a weapon there, however.

Kiran caught up with him. "Valter."

The knight turned. The usual wicked grin was on his face. "And to what do I owe this honor?"

"We need to talk."

"Then talk."

Kiran took a deep breath. "You're leaving."

Valter raised one eyebrow and gave Kiran an amused look. "Am I now?"

"Yes. I can't… can't let you stay here. For the good of the army."

Silence for a moment. "That's not the only reason."

"No. It's not." Another breath. "You hurt Eirika."

"You interrupted us."

"I interrupted  _you_ ," Kiran spat. "And it's a damn good thing I did. She was sleeping. If I hadn't come in when I did, you would've…"

Valter watched him as his voice trailed off. "Say it."

"I won't," Kiran replied immediately. "I'm not even going to think it. Point is, you aren't staying here and that's final."

The wyvern knight scoffed. "And how do you intend to convince me? With that sword you have on your belt?"

Well, the jig was up, he supposed. He unsheathed the sword and leveled it at Valter's chest. Kiran's hands shook slightly; he wasn't used to this.

Noticing this, Valter laughed wildly. "You are pathetic, boy. You can barely hold your little weapon. What makes you think you have the courage to do anything to me?"

Kiran struggled for a response. Valter's grin grew wider. "Well? Out with it! What will you do, boy?!"

"I… I…" Kiran stammered out. "I-I'll stop you… you can't s-stay here, Valter."

"I can stay wherever I please," the crazed knight countered. "You won't stop me. You don't have what it takes, coward."

Kiran was silent, and Valter continued. "And I know all about the little bluff you pulled in the infirmary. You're quite shrewd, aren't you? That little artifact of yours couldn't hurt a fly, but you had me believing it could kill me." He chuckled. "I'm impressed. You and I aren't so different, you know that?"

Kiran's eyes narrowed. "I am  _nothing_  like you," he snarled.

Valter's smile turned several degrees colder. "Do you truly think that? We're both good at bluffing. We both inserted ourselves in positions of power." He paused before continuing. "We both harbor affections for Princess Eirika."

Kiran gritted his teeth. "Don't you dare say her name," he said coldly. "You aren't worthy of it." He thrust the sword forward so it was just short of Valter's chest. "Now stop talking, Valter. You aren't the one holding the weapon."

The knight laughed again. "Are you quite sure of that?"

Before Kiran could react, Valter drew his own sword. The summoner gulped.

"I'm not finished in this world just yet," Valter purred. "I'm  _especially_  not finished with Princess Eirika. And you've just made yourself into a very weak, very annoying obstacle."

"If you kill me," Kiran warned. "You lose any chance of returning to your own world."

"Damn my world. This one will learn to fear the name of Valter the Moonstone."

He brought the weapon down with both hands, and Kiran just barely raised his own in time to block it. The crazed knight didn't falter, he just kept pressuring Kiran with his own sword strikes.

This was bad. Kiran knew nothing of swordplay except for what he'd seen of his warriors in battle. He knew that the weapon wasn't Valter's strongest suit either – he brought a lance into battle, of course - but any skill was more than what Kiran had. He found himself absently wishing that he had just stabbed the man while his back was turned.

Valter didn't stop his own strikes, laughing uncontrollably as he did. Every so often, Kiran would fail to parry, and a shallow cut would open on his skin. Valter's grin was so wide, it nearly split his face.

Finally, the weapon was knocked out of Kiran's hands, and he stumbled back to the ground. Valter proclaimed his victory as Kiran watched through fearful eyes.

"Still pathetic," Valter said. The blade was pointed straight down. "You aren't a worthy opponent. I'm going to draw this out as long as I can."

Kiran, who was already bleeding from several cuts, said nothing. The crazed knight flicked his wrist almost contemptuously, and a new wound opened on Kiran's forearm. He grimaced, but still stayed silent.

"Oh?" Valter asked. "Cat got your tongue?"

Another flick of the wrist caused blood to drip from a new spot on Kiran's thigh. He hissed.

"You dastard," he said. "You're a monster. I never should've brought you here…"

Valter laughed again. "But you can't change the past, now, can you?"

He leaned down, gripping his blade tightly, and prodded Kiran's stomach. A moment later, he opened another gash there. It wasn't deep enough to reach his organs, but enough to draw blood, and he could definitely feel the pain. Especially when Valter dragged the tip of the sword through his skin, causing the cut to widen. Kiran howled. A bit of blood dribbled out.

"That's more like it," Valter murmured. "Any last words?"

Kiran looked at the man standing above him. As if his body and mind finally realized the gravity of the situation, he found himself filled with strength. Whether it was the adrenaline coursing through his veins or some kind of divine intervention, he wasn't sure, but it was something. He raised his legs and aimed them directly at Valter's knee, kicking forward with all his might.

There was a wet snapping sound, and Valter watched him in surprise as he dropped to one knee. The sword fell from his hand, and Kiran grabbed it, standing up. He breathed heavily, but he was alive.

The theatrics and fancy speeches could wait. He simply drew the bloody sword backward, and plunged it directly into the wyvern knight's chest.

Scarlet blood poured from the wound, staining the grass, and the crazed knight continued to laugh as he fell.

"You're right, Valter," Kiran said quietly. "I can't change the past. But I can shape the future."

"Finally found your courage, eh…" Valter rasped. "We're even more alike than I thought." The laugh turned into a wheeze that grew weaker and weaker as he lost more blood. "You're a killer."

He continued to laugh and laugh until his body slumped, the life gone from it.

Kiran watched, his moment of strength gone from him, and he looked down at his stomach.

More blood was coming from the wound. He pressed one hand to it, but even as he was doing it, he fell backwards, away from the lifeless body of the Moonstone.

His vision started to darken at the edges, then turn a bit red. Faintly, he heard footsteps from behind him, and something that might've been a scream.

It didn't matter. Everything turned slowly, quietly, blissfully dark.


	6. Lyon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The single longest thing I've ever written, wow.

_Wake up._

"I don't wanna."

_You must wake up._

"But it's so peaceful here…"

_You aren't dead, Kiran. They still need you. Wake. Up._

His eyes slowly fluttered open, piercing the dim room. He was staring straight up at a nondescript ceiling, and lying on a bed.

He slowly sat up, blinking the last remnants of sleep from his eyes, and looked around.

He was back in the infirmary. He could see Eirika sleeping in the bed next to his, and Lucius and Genny huddled in a corner, talking. As he watched, he saw Genny's eyes widen, and she whispered something and pointed to him. Lucius looked back with a surprised look that quickly turned to a smile.

"Kiran! You're awake!" he exclaimed.

He blinked. It was only now that the summoner noticed the faintly throbbing pain in his stomach. He lifted the blankets to look.

His stomach was wrapped in bandages. He could see a bit of red staining the white cloth. Kiran suddenly felt sick, but managed to hold it in. "How long have I been out?"

The day's first rays of sunlight were spilling through the doorway. "Several hours," Genny said. She sat down next to him. "You lost a lot of blood."

He grunted in response.

"Do you remember what happened?"

He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. "Yeah… Valter. I confronted him out in the training grounds, and…" He cut himself off. "Gods… I killed him."

There was silence. It wasn't stunned silence, just courtesy. Kiran ran one hand back through his hair.

That felt so weird to say. Kiran had never killed anyone before. He left the war to the warriors. Sure, he'd been hurt in the midst of battle a few times, but he'd never actually engaged in the fighting himself.

Valter probably – no,  _definitely_  – deserved it, but the fact still remained that he died at Kiran's hands.

He shivered.

"Kiran?" Genny finally asked. "Are you alright?"

He shook his head. "Yeah… yeah, I'm fine. I'm guessing I can't leave yet, huh?"

"Actually…" Lucius said. "You should be fine. We closed the wound with our staves, so there's no worry of the bleeding starting again. I would recommend you keep the bandages on until they come off naturally, but they won't need to be replaced."

Genny smiled. "You're lucky. You won't have to worry about anything permanent."

Kiran was surprised at that, but wouldn't complain. "Well… thank you."

He slowly pushed himself to a standing position, looking around the infirmary once more before leaving.

He was immediately assaulted by a mess of blonde hair. "Kiran!"

He returned the hug tentatively until Sharena pulled away. Alfonse and Anna were nowhere to be seen.

"I was so worried about you…" she said. "You are unbelievable, Kiran!"

He blushed and looked away. "Sorry, Sharena…"

She looked like she was about to go right off on him, but then her expression changed. Her lip quivered slightly, and she hugged him again.

"I'm just so happy you're alright…"

He ran one hand through her hair soothingly, a faint blush still on his face.

"Honestly…" she whispered. "Why do you insist on putting yourself in danger like this? That's what all of us are for…"

He blinked. "Are you kidding me?"

"Huh?"

"How can I not?" he asked. "I wouldn't be able to live with myself knowing that everyone was risking their lives and I was just safe back in some hole. I  _have_  to be out there with them."

The princess of Askr listened carefully, and made a worried noise. "I… I'd still feel better if you were somewhere safe. You're too important to the Order…"

"I know, Sharena," he said. "But I can't."

She stomped one foot. "You are  _impossible_."

"Sorry," he said simply, but he had a ghost of a grin this time.

The princess sighed. "At least you're safe."

He had to crack a short grin at that. "Sorry, Sharena, but I have to cut this short. I wanna walk around a bit."

She nodded, and he casually walked off.

He started strolling through the halls, occasionally greeting Heroes who he met along the way. He made sure to stay away from the training grounds, however.

For the most part, that was how the day went. Kiran strolled, talking with a few Heroes as he encountered them.

Eventually, he bumped into Ryoma. "Kiran," the high prince greeted.

Kiran was about to pass him by, but then turned. "Ah, Ryoma? Can I ask you something?"

He turned to look at the summoner, giving him his full attention.

"Is there any chance that you could train me?"

Ryoma furrowed his brow. "Train you?"

"I want to learn how to use a sword."

"Ah," the prince replied sagely. "Yes… I heard about the incident in the training grounds. You two fought, then."

Kiran nodded. "And he won."

Ryoma's eyebrows shot up. "And yet, you stand before me. Not Valter."

"Yeah. He was about to kill me, and… something weird happened. I felt… strong. The pain just disappeared for a second, and…" He took a breath, recalling the fight. "I kicked out his knee, he dropped his sword, and I… killed him."

Ryoma listened intently. "I see."

"And I don't want to be in that situation again, Ryoma," Kiran told him. "I've been in bad situations before, but… that was the scariest moment of my life. I  _hope_  it'll never happen again, but I need to be prepared."

The prince nodded. "Then I will train you, if that's what you want. But I must warn you, Kiran, I am not a gentle teacher. You need to be serious about this. You need to have the will and resolve to learn the blade."

"I am deadly serious about this, Ryoma," Kiran replied. "You won't hear a complaint from me."

Ryoma's lips twitched in a short-lived smile. "Then let's begin."

{asterisks}

Ryoma found himself a pair of practice blades and led Kiran to the training grounds. When they arrived, he set the swords aside and sat cross-legged on the ground, motioning for Kiran to do the same.

The summoner blinked in surprise. "Doesn't sword training require… y'know, the swords?"

The prince shook his head. "Your mind is your greatest weapon, Kiran. It's important for you to sharpen it as much as it is to swing a blade. Join me."

Kiran mimicked his stance, sitting across from him.

"This will be the first thing we do during these training sessions," Ryoma explained. "You must have the willpower to survive, to win, if you intend to use a sword."

Kiran nodded in response.

"Channel your emotions and use them to your advantage," the prince advised. "Never let yourself forget why you fight, Kiran. Allow it to fill you. Strike with the power of your anger, and the speed of your fear."

Kiran listened intently, determined to learn.

"Focus your mind, Kiran, and we can begin."

A few minutes passed in silence, then Ryoma grabbed the swords again. He gave one to Kiran, and raised the second.

 _Here we go,_  Kiran thought, and gripped his sword tightly.

{asterisks}

A week and a half passed. Business around the Order happened as usual, with Kiran making time for his sword lessons with Ryoma in addition to the rest of his day.

One day, however, Lucius searched him out while he was taking a walk. "Summoner."

Kiran nodded in greeting. "What's new?"

The monk hesitated. "It's Princess Eirika. You should see her."

The summoner's face turned blank. He nodded, and followed Lucius.

They walked to the infirmary in silence. Kiran walked in without a second thought.

Genny was sitting next to her bed worriedly. She looked up when Lucius and Kiran came in.

Eirika's head was thrashing from side to side, eyes squeezed shut, and her face was beaded with sweat. When Kiran took one of her hands, it was ice cold.

"She was like this when we came in this morning," Genny explained. "It must've happened sometime last night…"

Her head whipped to either side, her mouth slightly open. Her hair was fanned underneath her, occasionally whipped around from the force of her movements. The rest of her body was unmoving. Occasionally, she let out fitful groans of pain.

Even as he watched, however, her movements eventually slowed, and then stopped completely. Her breathing was quick, but Eirika's face calmed once more, and her eyes slowly fluttered open.

"Eirika?!" Kiran asked urgently. "Eirika, are you alright?!" He had to stop himself from shaking her.

Her face had a confused look, but she nodded. "I had… a nightmare…" she said, clearly thinking. "But I feel alright…"

He watched her for a moment, then gently pulled her up for a hug. "It must've been pretty bad," he noted once he released her. "You were moving around a lot."

She frowned. "I see…"

He started to turn away, and then the strangest thing happened.

For half a second, out of the corner of his eye, her expression seemed to change. Suddenly, she wore an uncharacteristically large, toothy smile, and her eyes flashed a bright yellow, rather than their usual soft blue.

Now it was Kiran's turn to frown. "Eirika?"

It lasted only a moment, and her face returned to normal as quickly as it had changed. "What is it?"

He paused. Must've been a trick of the light or something. Yeah, he believed that. "Nothing…" he said. "It's fine."

She looked worried, but nodded, and he eased her back down onto the bed. "I'll, um… I'll be back in a few hours."

She nodded again with a weak smile, and watched as he left the room. Genny followed him out. "Kiran?"

He looked back at her. "Yeah?"

She watched him warily. "What happened?"

Kiran hesitated for a moment, and then recounted what he had seen.

Genny frowned. "Hmm… strange."

"Yeah," Kiran agreed. "I… ugh. I'm just worried about her."

She nodded. "I am too. Lucius knows more about this than I do, but…"

He put a hand on her shoulder. "It's fine. You're both doing everything you can."

Genny nodded again, her expression resolute. "She'll be fine, Kiran."

He cracked a smile. "I know. She's in good hands."

With that, he walked off.

{asterisks}

Kiran sat up in his bed, straight as a rod, breathing heavily. He clutched his chest with one hand, and looked around, as if to reassure himself that he was back in his room.

Ugh, that was awful. The nightmare scared him awake. The beast's eyes were burned into his memory. He rubbed at his eyes, and froze.

Nightmare.

Gods. Eirika.

He jumped out of bed, not bothering to get himself dressed, and rushed to the infirmary as fast as he could. It could be happening again.

He burst in, and immediately settled himself by her bedside.

She was calm, almost unmoving except for the gentle rise and fall of her chest. He could hear her breathing quietly.

Kiran ran one hand back through his hair, letting out a deep breath. He kissed her forehead gently, and she smiled in her sleep. She twitched faintly, but settled back quickly, and Kiran silently left the room.

Thank the gods she was alright. A nagging thought was in his mind – something about the nightmare, it was important somehow – but he pushed it from his mind and flopped back onto his bed. His eyes closed after a few seconds, and a blissfully dreamless sleep followed.

{asterisks}

Kiran's first destination the next morning was the infirmary, but for the first time in several weeks, Eirika was not the person he wished to see.

As he entered, he saw Lucius, who looked quite frazzled. He greeted the monk as he entered.

"Summoner," Lucius replied with a tired-looking smile.

Kiran returned the smile, albeit more sympathetically. "Sleep well?"

The monk blinked. "Actually, I didn't. I was awoken in the middle of the night by a frightful nightmare."

Kiran's eyes narrowed. "Really."

"Yes," Lucius said. He started remaking one of the beds.

The summoner bit his lip. "What was it about?"

Lucius shuddered. "I was trapped in utter darkness, unable to move. There was a… a beast of some sort in front of me. It had evil in its eyes…" He turned pale and gripped the bed's headboard. "It opened its mouth, and rushed toward me with the most awful sound. And then… I awoke."

Kiran listened intently, and swore quietly when Lucius was finished.

"Why do you ask?"

Kiran was silent for a moment. "I had the same dream."

The monk frowned. "How odd."

The summoner nodded. "Yeah, that's a good word for it." Lucius yawned.

"Thanks for letting me know, Lucius," Kiran said with a nod. "Can you do me a favor?"

The monk nodded. "Of course."

"When Eirika wakes up, ask her what the nightmare yesterday was about. I think there's something weird going on."

Lucius nodded again. "Of course, Summoner. May Elimine go with you."

Kiran left the room, and started walking around the Order's halls.

On the way, he encountered a few Heroes. Each time, he asked them if they remembered a particular dream from the previous night.

With a few exceptions – most notably Deirdre and Julia – everyone who he met described the same dream that Lucius had.

That did it. Clearly, something was happening. On a hunch, he gathered his recon team and sent them off toward the kingdom's northeastern reaches. Soon afterward, he met Ryoma for the day's sword lesson.

After their meditation session, the two squared off with their blades in their hands.

"Can I ask a question, Ryoma?" Kiran asked. He aimed a stab at Ryoma's chest, but the prince parried it.

"Of course." A moment later, he went in for a low slash, and Kiran barely blocked it in time. "You should work harder on noticing the tells of an attack," he advised. "See how it comes toward you?"

He went in for another strike, and Kiran raised his guard too early that time. Ryoma whapped the blade against his hip, and he let out a hiss of pain. "Noted." He pressed for a strike of his own. "Did you have any dreams last night?"

Ryoma blocked the attack easily, and thought. "I did, actually. Why do you ask?"

Kiran moved in for another attack, which the prince sidestepped and countered with a jab. Kiran noticed in time, and parried. "Did it happen to involve a giant monster with yellow eyes and big teeth? And it rushed toward you, and then you woke up?"

Ryoma's eyes narrowed, and he pressed with a little more force. "Exactly that. What aren't you telling me?"

The power behind the prince's strikes caused Kiran's arms to vibrate, but he kept up his defense. "Almost everyone else in the Order had the same dream. Including me. Something's going on."

"Do you think it could be Surtr?"

The summoner bit his lip and thought, moving in for an overhead strike. "It's possible, but it doesn't sound like his style. I sent the recon team out again, but there's no telling what they might find."

The strike was blocked, and Ryoma jumped back. "I see."

"Yeah. Hopefully I'll get a report soon."

Ryoma glanced behind Kiran. "Speak of the devil."

Kiran looked back as well. Matthew had walked into the training grounds.

"Are they back?" Kiran asked. The young thief nodded in response.

Kiran shot a look back at Ryoma, who waved one hand. "Go on. We can pick up later. You're improving quite a bit."

Kiran gave him a thumbs up, and he and Matthew dashed off toward the Order's main hall.

When they arrived, Kagero, Jaffar, Gaius, and Sothe were waiting. The hall was otherwise deserted.

As they delivered the report, Kiran mentally went through his list of entities that might've been able to cause something on this scale. It was mercifully small, but still unpleasant to think about these people.

"And who did you see this time?" he asked as it ended. "Don't spare a single detail. This is important."

"He looked quite young." That ruled out Gharnef, Nergal, and Validar.

"His robes were average, between plain and expensive." Not Julius, either. Since they confirmed him to be male, it also ruled out Idunn.

"Anything else?" he asked.

"His hair was a light shade of purple," Kagero said. "He wore a circlet around his head, as well."

"And he looked nervous," Sothe continued. "Like he was scared of something."

"Plus he kept twitching a bunch," Gaius finished.

Kiran blanched. There was only one name on his list that embodied all of those qualities.

Oh, boy. This wouldn't end well, he knew that much.

He muttered a thank you, and the four left.

Kiran ran one hand through his hair nervously. This was something he hoped he'd never have to deal with. Luck wasn't on his side, apparently.

He took a deep breath, and began to walk through the halls. He already had a good idea of which warriors he would bring.

First, he went to the infirmary and got Genny. That was the easy part. Next, he hunted down a second target.

"Kiran?" Ephraim asked. "What's going on?"

He took a breath. "It's Lyon."

Ephraim's eyes widened. "He's here?"

Kiran nodded, and decided to rip the bandage off quickly. "I think he's the cause of the nightmares everyone had."

The prince grew quiet. "You think he's still possessed by the Demon King."

"But I have an idea," Kiran said. "I think I might be able to help him."

Ephraim was silent for a while. Eventually, he looked Kiran dead in the eye. "How do you mean?"

Kiran gave Ephraim a quick rundown of his plan, and the prince nodded along. "Alright," he said when Kiran was finished. "I want my friend back, Kiran. To that end… I'm willing to go with you."

Kiran grinned. "Thank you. Go get yourself ready and meet me in the main hall."

Ephraim nodded, and walked briskly past him.

His third option was already selected, so Kiran jogged through the halls, looking for her.

Eventually, he found her in the main hall. As usual, there was someone with her.

"Lady Deirdre!" he called.

She looked up, evidently surprised. So did Sigurd. "To what do I owe this honor?" she asked.

"A mission," he replied. "It's important." He braced himself for Sigurd's inevitable reaction. After losing Deirdre once in his own world, and now getting her back in this one, he'd become even  _more_  protective of her than he had been before.

He predicted correctly. Sigurd's eyes narrowed. "No. Not happening," he replied immediately.

Kiran ran one hand back through his hair. "Sigurd, please, listen to me-"

He rose. "She is  _not_  going out there," he growled. "Dammit, Kiran, I'm not gonna let you put her in harm's way."

Kiran stared the knight down. Neither broke eye contact.

"Then by all means, Sigurd, come along," Kiran said eventually.

He looked suspicious. "What?"

"If you're that worried about her, then join us," Kiran repeated. "You could protect her yourself if you need to. But I  _need_  Deirdre along on this mission. It's non-negotiable."

Sigurd looked back down at her. Deirdre just watched the exchange with a small smile.

The holy knight grumbled for a moment. "Alright, I'll join," he said. "I'm convinced."

Kiran grinned. "Get yourselves ready and meet back here as soon as possible. We need to move quickly."

They both rose, and walked off. Deirdre tossed a look back at Kiran, and smiled again. The summoner returned it as best he could as he watched the couple leave.

{asterisks}

Several minutes later, all four of the warriors were gathered in the Hall. Kiran looked around at them nervously.

He looked back to the door and took a breath. "This is gonna be dangerous," he said. "If any of you wanna back out-"

"Don't be stupid, Kiran," Sigurd interrupted. "We're all here, aren't we? We've been willing to put our lives on the line for the cause this whole time. One little fight isn't gonna change anything."

Ephraim nodded along. "You don't have to act so chivalrous. We're ready and willing."

Kiran looked at all four of them in turn, and grinned. "Alright. I gotcha. Let's head out."

They were about to leave when footsteps were heard. Kiran turned and saw Lucius, and greeted the monk as he approached.

"Summoner, I must tell you," he said. "Princess Eirika woke up."

"And?"

"She said she had the same dream, but…" Lucius hesitated a moment before Kiran motioned for him to continue.

"Summoner, I don't think she was telling me everything," he confessed quietly. "I believe she may have been hiding something."

Kiran frowned. That sounded odd. "I see… thanks, Lucius."

The monk gave a short bow, and whispered a blessing over the group of five before leaving.

Without another word, the group left the building. There was a faint sense of uneasiness in the air, but Kiran marched on, determined not to let his apprehension show on his face.

Still, his mind was racing. There was-

"Kiran?"

He jumped. He hadn't even noticed Ephraim falling into step beside him. "Something on your mind?"

Kiran sighed. "Yeah… this whole situation just feels weird to me. I can't help but think something else is going on behind the scenes.

The prince nodded sagely. "I agree. There's something weird going on… or…"

Kiran looked back at him. "Or?"

Ephraim thought for a moment. "Is it possible that the dreams are a warning?"

"A warning?"

"Maybe someone's sending us a vision of something," he suggested. "Something that might attack the Order."

Kiran pondered that. "It's possible… but then, why would it be so selective with who saw the dream? Why didn't it happen to Deirdre or Julia? Why not show it to all of us?"

Ephraim shook his head. "I can't say I know."

Kiran hesitated. "There's something else that's bothering me as well."

Ephraim quirked one eyebrow, listening intently as Kiran recounted what happened to Eirika the previous day.

His face turned worried. "That doesn't sound good at all."

Kiran nodded. "I just… I just hope nothing is wrong with her. I…"

Ephraim studied his face. "You still feel guilty about what happened to her," he guessed.

The summoner nodded miserably. "If I hadn't insisted on leaving on that mission so soon, she wouldn't…"

The prince watched him sympathetically. "Chin up, Kiran. You can't dwell on the past like that. She's alive, and she's gonna recover. That's all that matters."

Kiran was silent for the rest of the walk. Eventually, they appeared at a large opening that looked like it could've been there for years. Moss grew on the yellowed stone and browning vines were draped around it. The group entered.

It was dimly lit. There was no way to tell where any of the light was coming from, but it was certainly there. Enough that they could see, at least. Their footsteps echoed around them as they walked, the only sound that they could hear.

Eventually, the narrow passageway opened into a large room. Kiran could see a few large openings in the ground, which were filled with water. There were also a half dozen warriors in front of him.

The central figure was the prince of Grado.

Lyon looked at them as they entered, and his eyes grew wide with fear. "No!" he cried. "No, no, don't come any closer! Please, you must run! If-"

He cut himself off with a bloodcurdling wail, clamped his hands over his ears, and dropped to his knees. Ephraim's lance fell to the ground with a clatter, and Kiran had to stop him from sprinting towards his fallen friend.

"LYON!" he shouted, struggling against the summoner.

A moment later, the prince rose again. He picked up the tome that had fallen from his hands, and looked back at the group.

He had changed. His eyes were no longer the same gentle purple colour that they were before, but had turned into a viciously bright gold. When he spoke, his voice still sounded like the prince's, but it was distorted somehow, and came out with a haughtier, dismissive-sounding tone.

"Well, well, well," he laughed. "We meet again, Prince Ephraim."

Fomortiis' low, cruel laugh echoed throughout the room, and he took up Naglfar with one hand as a violet fog gathered around him out of nowhere. He looked contemptuously at the five other warriors facing Kiran's group, and frowned.

"What are  _you_  doing here?" he snarled. "I have no use for any of you. Begone!"

Naglfar rose to float in front of him, and the pages turned quickly as wind gathered within the room. The Demon King released his gathered power, and it manifested as black and purple flashes of light that struck his five "allies." Within moments, all of them had disappeared.

A split second later, creatures began to melt out of the darkness. They came in all shapes and sizes – a few resembled emaciated corpses. Others were skeletons, who held surprisingly normal-looking weapons. Still more looked like feral dogs, a few of which had multiple heads. Kiran couldn't see everything, but he was sure there were more that were just as horrifying.

He gulped as he looked around. As he did, the four warriors performed a protective half-circle in front of him.

"Ephraim?" Kiran asked. "Can you tell me anything about these things?"

"Lots," the prince replied. "But not now. There's no time. Siegmund can rip through them pretty well, though."

That got Kiran's mind moving. If Siegmund could destroy these creatures, perhaps other holy weapons could do the same.

Without missing a beat, Ephraim expertly speared a skeleton that got a little too close. The creature went up in flames without a sound. Within moments, there was nothing left but a small pile of ashes. Even in spite of this, Lyon's face had a wide grin. Fomortiis spread his hands out to either side.

"Now that's more like it," he chuckled. "Destroy them!"

The monsters surged forward in a giant wave. Kiran watched, mind racing. Ephraim, Sigurd, and Deirdre began attacking in response, but they didn't move too far from their spots. Genny had her staff raised and would also attack when possible, but she mostly focused on healing.

Fomortiis simply sat back and watched as his monsters mounted their attack, face completely blank. As Kiran watched, he raised one hand.

"Genny!" Kiran shouted. "Hit him hard!"

Her staff exploded with harsh light, which chased down Fomortiis. The Demon King grunted. The energy he was gathering dissipated, and he narrowed his eyes at Kiran.

Kiran returned his gaze. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one of the dog-like creatures fall to a strike from Sigurd's Tyrfing. Light erupted from the beast momentarily, and it disappeared.

Even as this happened, though, he could see more of the beasts being created out of darkness. Kiran gritted his teeth. The warriors were strong, for sure, but they couldn't last forever. There had to be another strategy.

He wracked his brain, thinking desperately.

 _C'mon, Kiran_ , he thought.  _There must be_ something…  _Some way to destroy them all at once…_

Another flash of light came from his other side, and he looked over to see Deirdre destroy an oncoming corpse with Naga. It clicked.

"Deirdre!" he shouted over the din of battle. "Can you get any more power into that spell?!"

She dodged a massive axe from a one-eyed beast that had to be at least ten feet tall, and quickly dispatched it with another blast of Naga. "I believe so!" she yelled, glancing back at him.

"Come over here! Sigurd, Ephraim, protect her!"

Deirdre retreated, and the two men fell back a little to cover her. Genny stayed behind them, consistently taking care of their wounds. As Kiran watched, a strange creature that looked like a giant eye tried to wrap its tentacles around Ephraim, but he deftly dodged its strikes and plunged Siegmund directly through the eye. The creature went up in flame, and the prince jumped backward.

"It will take time to prepare the spell," Deirdre told him.

"That's fine," Kiran said. "Just do it. I think it's our only chance."

Deirdre nodded, and closed her eyes in concentration. Kiran could feel the gentle thrum of magic in the air as she did so.

Fomortiis narrowed his eyes again, and Kiran watched him raise one hand. A circle of darkness appeared around Deirdre.

Kiran wasn't sure what he was doing, but it sure wouldn't be good. He tackled Deirdre out of the way and they fell into a tumble. He ended up on top of her.

Under different circumstances, he'd probably be embarrassed, but there wasn't time for that. He helped her up, and she closed her eyes to draw in her power again.

"Everyone fall back!" he screamed. They retreated to the entrance to the room, and the monsters surged forward, filling the space. Sigurd and Ephraim guarded the entrance, with Genny behind them, and Kiran and Deirdre behind her.

"Genny! Keep him occupied!"

She shot a quick, uncertain glance at him, but raised her staff again. The harsh light burst from it quickly, bathing Fomortiis in its glow.

 _This should work,_  he thought. The light would disrupt the Demon King's magic while Deirdre prepared hers.

He watched the fight helplessly; the Heroes were fighting a losing battle. He watched Sigurd cleanly strike the head from a centaur-like creature, but another one swiftly took its place. Ephraim speared a pair of bestial monsters with wings, which erupted into twin columns of flame, but another one-eyed creature appeared and the prince had to jump back.

He stared. Kiran knew it was only a matter of time before they would be overwhelmed. The monsters were just too much. With Genny healing, they had more of a chance, but since she had to focus on keeping Fomortiis occupied, their likelihood of survival was getting lower and lower.

He silently formed the word 'please' on his lips over and over, praying that they could escape this. The Demon King wore an expression of triumph. Kiran could see a hulking form behind Lyon's body – vaguely humanoid, and constructed of shadow with glowing eyes. As this happened, his face turned more uncertain, and for just a moment, his eyes changed to Lyon's normal color.

Kiran stared. Lyon was fighting back. Maybe they could win in time after all.

A soft pulsing light came from behind him. He glanced back, and stared.

The light was formed from Deirdre's hands. The Naga tome was floating in front of her as she steadily walked forward, just behind Sigurd and Ephraim.

She spoke, and her normally soft voice echoed powerfully through the noises of battle. "Creatures of darkness, begone!"

Fomortiis' eyes turned wide and he stretched his arms out. Kiran could see his mouth move frantically, and the figure behind him disappeared.

The light grew, growing into a great dragon. It roared, and lit the room brilliantly. The closest monsters disintegrated. The dragon flew around the room as Kiran, Sigurd, Ephraim, and Genny watched in awe, and raked its claws at the remaining creatures. They disappeared almost instantly.

Once the creatures were all gone, the dragon coiled its body around Lyon and roared again. The prince of Grado screamed as the noise reached its peak, and the great dragon finally disappeared.

The sudden silence was deafening, but Ephraim sprinted over to Lyon's side and cradled his head in his lap.

"Lyon? Lyon, please wake up!"

The other four moved to the prince's side. Kiran watched, a bit worried.

It took several seconds, but eventually his breathing started again. A second later, his eyes fluttered open.

He groaned in pain. "E… Ephraim…?" he asked.

The prince of Renais smiled. Kiran had never seen Ephraim look this happy.

"Gods, Lyon, you're alive…" he whispered.

Lyon smiled as well. "Yes, I… I suppose I am, aren't I…? But… where…?"

Kiran grinned down at him. "You're in Askr, Lyon. You're safe now. Fomortiis is gone."

The prince of Grado frowned, and furrowed his brow. "No."

"No?"

"He… he isn't gone. I can feel… his presence," Lyon said with difficulty. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "The Demon King… isn't gone from this world. I believe he… left my body… voluntarily."

Now it was Kiran's turn to frown. "What do you mean?"

Lyon shuddered. "He may be wandering… or he could have… a vessel… But he still remains… in this world…"

Kiran froze. Another vessel.

Gods, no, no,  _no_.

Kiran jumped to his feet. "Sigurd, is there room for two more on your horse?"

The knight nodded, confused.

Ephraim looked back up at Kiran, horrified comprehension dawning on his face. "Do you think-"

"Yeah," Kiran interrupted. "That's exactly what I think. Sigurd, you need to take me and Deirdre back to the Order  _right now_."

The holy knight started to protest, but Kiran held up one hand. "I'll explain on the way, but we have to move!"

He looked back at the pair of princes. "Ephraim, Genny, you two come back to the Order too. I hate to split up like this, but-"

Ephraim held up a hand. "Don't worry. We'll bring Lyon. We'll be fine."

Kiran gave him a quick thumbs-up, and then jumped onto Sigurd's horse. Deirdre got on behind him, and they rode off, leaving behind Genny, Ephraim, and a very confused-looking Lyon.

Kiran just hoped they would make it in time.

{asterisks}

They burst through the Order's entrance, and the three of them dismounted immediately.

"You both know what to do," Kiran said. "Sigurd, go! Deirdre, come with me!"

Neither protested, and they ran to their destinations. Kiran's footsteps echoed through the hall as he tried not to think about what might happen.

Kiran burst into the infirmary, with Deirdre close behind. "Eirika!" he shouted.

She was lying on the bed, apparently no different from usual. The summoner rushed to her side. "Eirika?"

She watched him. "You're back…"

He took one of her hands. "Eirika, are you alright?"

She kept watching him, looking somewhat confused. "Why wouldn't I be?"

He didn't reply.

A look of disdain flickered across her face. "Would it be because of something like this?"

Her eyes changed to that wicked golden colour, and she – he - lunged at Kiran, pinning him to the wall of the infirmary. One of her hands seized Kiran's throat, holding it like a vice.

Kiran quickly glanced at Deirdre, who called up Naga and released the power at Fomortiis. The Demon King looked at her disdainfully, and the light washed over Eirika's body. She twitched, but there was no more reaction than that. Deirdre stared in shock.

"You'll need more power than that to defeat me, fool," Fomortiis snarled. Quick as a whip, he closed the distance between them, dragging Kiran along the wall, and backhanded Deirdre. She was sent sprawling out of the room in a crumpled heap. Deirdre pushed herself to her knees and watched in silent horror as the Demon King returned his attention to Kiran.

"This body has much less resistance than that pathetic prince," he murmured. "Poor thing. She can't even fight back against me with her soul in this condition."

Kiran shuddered. It was beyond unsettling, hearing Eirika's voice speak those words.

"You… monster…" he choked out. "How dare you…"

"You are in no position to spout those feeble insults," Fomortiis chuckled. "I will make this last."

He raised his free hand. The one that he used to strangle Kiran lessened its grip slightly, just enough for him to suck in a breath.

The summoner felt the hum of magic in the air again as a sphere of darkness began to form in the Demon King's hand.

"This girl doesn't have as much magical talent as the prince did," Fomortiis mused. "But enough. There is just enough."

Kiran watched helplessly as the sphere steadily grew. He could breath, sure, but just barely. There was no way he'd be able to muster up the strength to try and strike the Demon King. Even if he could, he wasn't sure if he could bring himself to do it; any damage that Eirika's body endured would stay after her consciousness was released.

 _If_  she was released.

Fomortiis laughed endlessly, gloating in his victory as the sphere continued to grow. Kiran shut his eyes, not wanting to see Eirika's face as it happened.

As he did, he suddenly realized something. The Demon King wasn't the only source of magic in the air.

He might still have a chance. It could only be Deirdre, so he tried to channel his thoughts to her. Would it help? Probably not, but it made him feel a little better.

A moment later, the dark magic dissipated. Kiran's eyes flew open just in time to see Eirika's head whip to the side. Her eyes widened, and Fomortiis growled. "No! How can there be more?!"

Kiran glanced at the entrance to the infirmary. Deirdre was there, holding the gathered light in her hands. Julia was next to her, mimicking her stance, and Sigurd stood behind the both of them, watching.

Fomortiis dropped Kiran, who tumbled to the ground, and backed away. Julia and Deirdre released the energy at the same time, and the great dragon of light appeared a second time.

This time, however, it had a twin.

Kiran stared in awe as the two dragons emitted their holy light. It was so bright that he had to shield his eyes. He heard a bloodcurdling scream, and the light died down after several seconds.

He had to blink a few times to clear his eyes from the dots that were spinning in his vision. He scrambled forward to Eirika, who was lying on the ground. Her eyes were wide and glassy, staring at nothing, but they had returned to their original colour. Her breath was slow, and her mouth was slightly open.

Kiran picked her up bridal style, and gently placed her back on the bed. He held her hand in both of his as tears pricked his eyes. "Gods, Eirika…"

He leaned over her, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of life.

"Eirika…" he whispered. He repeated her name over and over. "Please, please, say something…"

It took some time, but her eyes eventually gained focus again. Her breathing turned steady, and she looked back up at him. "Kiran…"

All it took was one word. He took her in his arms, holding her close to him, and kissed her cheek. "Eirika, I… oh, gods, Eirika, I can't believe that happened…"

There was a moment where nothing happened, and then he felt her arms wrap around him. Kiran's eyes shot open in surprise, but he didn't protest. He just continued holding her, and whispered in her ear. "I love you."

He felt her start to shake, and heard a quiet sob. "I love you too."

He pulled back a fraction so he could see her face. "Y-you're moving…"

She smiled. "I s-suppose I am, aren't I…?"

Kiran couldn't keep his own smile off his face, and kissed her. He moved to get up, but she wouldn't let go.

"K-Kiran, please…" Her face was suddenly filled with uncertainty. "Please stay with me… I… I need you here… a-after that…"

He swallowed, and settled himself back in his seat. "Of course." He eased himself back into his chair, away from her, but still kept one of her hands in his own.

Her face was pale, the happiness of the moment passed. "Is that… is that what Lyon felt like…?"

Kiran nodded.

She stared straight ahead. "It was… oh, Kiran, it was so awful… I…" She seemed to shrink. "I could see… see through my eyes, but couldn't control it. Couldn't stop it. I saw what it did… and it  _hurt_  me, Kiran… it hurt so much…" She burst into quiet sobs, tears rolling down her face.

He ran one hand through her hair soothingly. "You're safe," he whispered. "You're safe now, Eirika… The Demon King is gone."

She hugged him again. "Oh, Kiran, I…"

He returned it gently. "I know," he whispered. "But no one can harm you now."

It took several minutes, but the tears eventually stopped, and Eirika pulled away to look at him. "So... how did he come here?"

Kiran had nearly forgotten in all the commotion, but he'd never told her exactly what happened. "It's Lyon."

Her eyes widened. "Lyon is… Lyon is  _here_? He's alive?"

Kiran nodded, grinning. She hugged him again. "Can I see him?"

"Yeah, Ephraim should be coming back with him any minute now."

She frowned. "You left him behind?"

"I was in a hurry!" he protested.

Eirika giggled.

"Do you need any help getting up?" Kiran asked.

She took his hand, and eased herself to a standing position. She wobbled a little, not quite used to it yet, but straightened quickly. "I think I'm fine," she said, but didn't let go of his hand.

He led her out of the room, and they walked back to the main hall. When they arrived, the two princes were already standing there.

Eirika's eyes lit up, brimming with tears of joy, and she sprinted over to the prince of Grado. He barely had time to turn around before Eirika tackled him with a tight embrace.

Lyon looked shocked, but soon returned the hug. He had a faint blush on his face, and looked like this was the happiest day of his life.

Ephraim joined the embrace a moment later as Kiran looked on with a big smile.

These moments, he thought. Being the summoner and tactician for the Order of Heroes had its ups and downs, and definitely had its fair share of difficulties.

But these moments were what made it all worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can you tell that Sacred Stones is my favourite FE game? And that Lyon is probably my favourite villain? I don't think I made it obvious enough.


	7. Navarre

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SORRY
> 
> Life's been crazy busy recently. I'm also working on a few other projects on the side (a lemon with Kiran and Eirika, and an unrelated Xenoblade story) so updates are gonna get even more inconsistent. Sorry to disappoint, but I don't know what else to do. The important thing to note is that this chapter is finally done.
> 
> I'll also apologize for the comparatively short length; after around three months of sitting on my hands, I just wanted to get it done.

Ryoma planted his foot against Kiran's stomach, and shoved him to the ground. The summoner fell with a yelp, and the tip of the sword was against his throat.

The summoner spat to one side and looked at the practice blade. "That's playing dirty."

Ryoma withdrew the sword and offered him a hand to help him up. "It's realistic," the prince corrected. "Not every opponent is as honorable as I am. You need to be prepared for anything."

Kiran sighed, and ran one hand back through his hair. "How am I doing?"

The high prince thought about how best to answer that. "You are improving, and you have a good grasp of the basics. You also have excellent reflexes."

"I'm sensing a 'but.'"

Ryoma smiled tersely. "But you  _only_  seem to have a good understanding of the basics, and those could still be bettered. Anything further that I've tried to teach you has been almost completely unsuccessful."

Kiran sighed again. That was a little disheartening, but he wasn't one to give up. "Thank you for your candor."

"You have many swordfighters at your disposal in the Order," Ryoma pointed out. "Perhaps someone else could teach you different techniques."

The thought hadn't crossed his mind, but the prince was right. He had countless sword techniques from many different worlds at his fingertips; he could learn from whoever he pleased.

Kiran hummed in thought. "I might take you up on that. Thanks, Ryoma."

Ryoma inclined his head in a short bow, and walked off. Kiran watched him leave.

He was aching, but felt fine. He didn't exactly expect any kind of weapons training to be easy.

As he stretched, he suddenly felt a tingle on the back of his neck. He turned around in a slow circle.

Nothing out of the ordinary, as far as he could see. He shrugged it off and started to go back inside.

The faint rustling of grass made him turn again, just in time to see an archer dart toward him. The arrow was already nocked, and Kiran didn't even have time to react as it flew toward him.

Out of nowhere, a male shape appeared in front of him, and loosed a pair of daggers. The projectiles expertly lodged themselves in the attacker's unprotected throat and chest, and the archer fell. The whole exchange took about two seconds.

Kiran's eyes were wide and his heart was racing, but he was unhurt. Saizo turned around, yanking the arrow out of his shoulder without a flicker of expression. His eyes were narrowed. "Have I not told you to remain vigilant?" he chastised.

Kiran blinked at him, still in a bit of shock. "Um. I, uh. I wasn't really expecting that."

The ninja growled. "That much is obvious."

Kiran watched him carefully, and noticed his shoulder. Blood was welling from the wound. "You're hurt."

Saizo rolled his eyes. "Also obvious. I'll take care of it myself."

Kiran felt more than a little insulted at all that. "Saizo, there hasn't been a single attempt on my life until just now. Forgive me for thinking I'm not really in danger."

"Be that as it may…" the ninja replied. His voice came out angrily, and although Kiran couldn't see his face, he was almost certain that Saizo was grinding his teeth. "You are still an important member of the Order. It would not do for you to be lulled into a false sense of security and die because of it."

He had a point, but Kiran wasn't about to admit that. Instead, he sighed. "I appreciate the aid, Saizo." He left it at that, and stepped around the ninja to examine the body.

The arrow was coated in a familiar-looking poison, and the bow was sleek and light. It was clearly intended to be used at a short range.

This person was a talented assassin, without a doubt. Kiran bit his lip. He'd be lying to himself if he said this wasn't worrying, but he tossed another look around and returned to the inside of the building.

{asterisks}

Over the next few days, there were no less than four more attempts on Kiran's life, including a rather frightening appearance of a manakete that required Myrrh in her own dragon form to defeat.

At this point, he was getting spooked, and he wasn't the only one; Anna had commanded that he have a clear guard at all times. In the meantime, Kiran had sent several warriors out around the kingdom in order to find information on this turn of events.

He also continued with his sword training, sinking even more time into it than he had before. He pushed himself hard, and started taking lessons from Athena and Ike in addition to Ryoma.

Some days later, the mercenary asked a question at the end of the lesson. "Have you considered trying any other weapons, Kiran?"

Kiran was panting, exhausted from the rigorous regimen, but still felt a little pang of shame at Ike's words. "Yeah… I did at first. And I think this is the only one that works for me." He counted the other weapons on his fingers. "I don't have any aptitude for magic, I'm not strong enough for an axe or a lance, I can barely pull the drawstring on a bow, I can't aim well enough for daggers, and I can't turn into a dragon. Believe me, I've tried everything else. A sword is the only thing I have a chance with."

Ike listened, arms folded. "Mmm… I see."

Kiran waited, but apparently, that was it, so he returned to the Order's main hall.

His latest group of reconnaissance warriors had returned, consisting of Kagero, Legault, Gaius, and Kaze, and he got the reports. The only one who'd seen anything out of the ordinary was Legault, who recounted a story that a townperson had told him.

"He told me that he was out hunting when he almost got chopped in half by some guy with two swords," the Hurricane recalled. "When the guy saw that he wasn't an animal, he just said 'sorry' and walked off."

Kiran blinked. 'Weird' was definitely a good word for it. "Did he say what the swordsman looked like?"

Legault shook his head. "He said it happened too fast for him to get a good look, but I got him to tell me where it happened-"

Kiran gave him a suspicious look and he held up his hands. "No violence, honest. I fed him some coin. Anyway, he told me where he went to hunt and I went there and met the guy."

Kiran's eyebrows shot up. "You  _met him?!_ "

The Hurricane nodded, looking smug. "You bet. Not for long, though. We talked a bit and then he took out his sword. Said something about how I must've been the enemy so he didn't have a choice but to fight me, but I chose that moment to split." He paused. "He said he had a contract to fulfill."

Kiran swore under his breath. Embla must've gotten to him already. "You said you talked. Did you get a name?"

"Navarre."

" _Oh_ ," Kiran said. "Well. Um. Where was this? And was there anyone with him?"

Legault closed his eyes for a second and thought. "Mmm… no, he was alone. And it was around the northeast."

He'd expected that. "Of course…" he muttered. "Alright, thanks. Dismissed."

The warriors walked off, and Kiran ran one hand back through his hair, already formulating a team in his mind.

{asterisks}

Several minutes later, he was on the road with a smaller team than usual; Caeda, Ike, and Genny. The trip was mostly in silence, as he'd filled everyone in on the situation before they left.

When they arrived, they were in a normal-looking clearing with forest all around them. The swordsman was casually leaning up against a tree, dressed in red with a pair of swords on his belt. He watched them as they entered the clearing.

"Are you Kiran?" he asked.

The summoner nodded, watching him warily.

Navarre stalked towards the little group, one hand on his sword. "I have to kill you. Don't take it personally."

He blinked, a bit surprised at the swordsman's bluntness. "Um. I have a bit of a problem with that. Is there any way to change your mind?"

Navarre shook his head. "I don't want to do this, but I haven't got a choice. I'm compelled."

Kiran was still looking for the right words, but Caeda steered her mount in front of him. "Navarre. Please. You can still do the right thing here." Her voice was calm and confident.

He scowled. "Princess, I  _can't_. If I don't, my limbs move on their own. I'll cut you down to get to him if I have to. Please stand aside."

Caeda's eyes widened, her composure shaking a bit. Navarre drew one of his swords and threw it on the grass. "But I'll give him a chance to defend himself at least."

Kiran looked between the weapon and his opponent, and gulped. "Um. Alright."

Ike stepped forward. "Don't be ridiculous. I'll-"

He was stopped with a hand on his chest. "No, Ike," Kiran said with authority. "I'm tired of being helpless. I'll do it."

The mercenary looked at him incredulously, then stepped back and shook his head. "Fine. But I'll still be here."

Kiran nodded and stepped forward, picking up the fallen blade and leveling it. Part of him knew that he was way out of his league here, but he didn't give a damn. This was a test, as far as he concerned, and he was determined to show his worth.

Navarre raised his sword and inclined his head slightly.

That was all the warning he had before the fight started.

The Scarlet Swordsman lunged and almost killed Kiran on the first try; a sideways slash came in and grazed his hip. Kiran grunted in pain and stared his opponent down as Navarre jumped backward.

He came in for another strike, but Kiran was ready this time. He blocked it, barely, and the power of the blow reverberated through his arms. He tried to push back, got a bit of momentum, and shoved Navarre back a step before the swordsman retreated. The sudden lack of pressure caused Kiran to overbalance, but he kept himself from falling.

Navarre watched him for a moment, and closed the distance between them in a heartbeat. He planted his foot against Kiran's chest and tried to shove him down, but the summoner was ready; his feet were braced against the ground, and he was pushed back a few steps, but he didn't fall.

Kiran brought his sword up for a slash of his own and landed a light cut on Navarre's left arm, but the swordsman stepped back without a second thought, and that's all he got.

The fight continued in this vein for some time, and Kiran held his own for a bit longer than he expected, but it didn't take long for him to slip up. Navarre went in for a stab, and Kiran failed to parry it the way he intended. Navarre twisted his blade and disarmed him, then kicked him to the ground. Kiran stared up at Navarre blankly.

The Scarlet Swordsman had his blade pointing straight down. Kiran faintly heard grass rustling as Navarre murmured "Sorry, friend."

At that, a wave of light appeared out of nowhere and struck Navarre. The swordsman's head snapped to one side just in time for him to block a heavy blow from Ike.

"Kiran!" the hero shouted. "Move!"

He wasted no time in complying, scooting backwards on his elbows. He bumped into Genny, who quickly murmured an incantation and healed his wounds. The cuts and slashes that Kiran had suffered were soothed immediately, and he pulled himself to his feet as he watched the fight raging in front of him.

The fight had certainly escalated now; the two swordsmen were fighting with all they had, and the heavy  _clang_  of metal on metal was the only audible noise in the little clearing.

It was rather interesting, actually; compared to Navarre, Ike was definitely more of a heavyweight, complemented by Ragnell, but he wasn't a slouch in speed, either. He was doing a very good job of forcing Navarre to fight defensively.

The Scarlet Swordsman, on the other hand, had his teeth gritted in sheer concentration. Occasionally, he would try to retreat and regain his footing in the duel, but Ike, courtesy of the power of Ragnell, would swing his weapon and send more shockwaves his way.

Kiran was impressed; all of the spectators could tell that Navarre was fighting a losing battle. It would take a miracle now for the fight to turn around.

It didn't come. Ike swung his sword with all his strength, so hard that Navarre's was warped and bent into a strange angle. The hero used it to gain leverage and forced the sword out of Navarre's hands. It spun in the air and landed a few feet away. Navarre stared at it in shock, and silently raised his hands in surrender.

Kiran watched the two of them, mouth hanging open in astonishment. Ike took a small step back, and kept Ragnell drawn.

Kiran finally shook himself out of his stupor and stepped forward. "Is the contract broken?" he asked Navarre.

The Scarlet Swordsman was silent for a moment, and walked over to Kiran's discarded sword. He picked it up, sheathed it, and stood still for about a minute. When nothing happened, he nodded to Kiran, who breathed a sigh of relief.

Caeda looked overjoyed. Ike finally sheathed his own sword and gave Kiran a pointed look.

"Then I suppose you're with us now, Navarre," Kiran said, and they returned to the Order of Heroes.

{asterisks}

The Scarlet Swordsman wasn't much of a talker. Kiran was only able to get a little bit of information out of him; luckily, Caeda was more than willing to pick up the slack on that score, when it came to personal details.

"How did you come here?" is what he'd asked.

It took Navarre a while to answer that. "Summoned" was his reply. "A girl told me I'd been bound and I had to fight for her. Then she described you and said it was my job to kill you."

Kiran recalled the past few days. "So you were responsible for the other assassins?"

"They were there when I got to the destination," he explained. "None of them came back. The girl told me to wait where I was. You came."

Kiran nodded in acknowledgement. "You aren't the first one. A few other Heroes have shown up where you did. I've never heard of them getting contracted by the Emblians, though."

Apparently, Navarre didn't think that was worth a response, and the short remainder of the walk was mostly in silence.

As soon as they walked in and got the minor details sorted out, Navarre turned to Ike. "Let's spar," he said.

The hero arched an eyebrow until Navarre continued.

"I need to train against ranged attacks like yours," he explained. "Spar with me."

Ike stared for a second, then shrugged, and the two walked off. Kiran watched them go, expression unchanging. After a moment, he walked off in another direction.

He found Eirika in her own bedroom, straightening things up a bit. The door was open, but he knocked anyway. She glanced back at him, face quickly breaking into a little smile.

"How are you, Kiran?" she asked.

"Fine, I suppose. Can I talk to you?"

The smile faltered a little and her face grew worried. "What's wrong?"

He paused for a moment, and started describing the events of the day, mainly the finding of Navarre and the extremely one-sided swordfight he participated in before Ike came to his rescue. They both took a seat on the bed, and she listened intently.

"And... gods, I'm just... it feels frustrating to be the only one in the Order who can't defend himself," he finished.

Eirika was silent for a moment. "Kiran... if I were honest with you for a moment, would you be angry?"

He blinked. "Um. I guess not."

She sighed. "You are the single most stubborn, arrogant person that I have ever met."

Well, that wasn't quite what he was expecting.

"Today was your first real fight. And from what I've heard, this Navarre has quite a bit of skill. Did you honestly think you'd be a master swordsman like Ryoma or Ayra right away?"

He looked away sheepishly, but she wasn't done. She placed one hand on his cheek and looked into his eyes.

"You're pushing yourself too hard, Kiran. You've gotten so focused on your sword lessons that you've been neglecting your other duties." Her look softened. "You don't have to be good at everything."

"I know that, but-"

"No you don't," she replied immediately. "The situation with Valter will never happen to you again. You're surrounded by the most capable warriors from countless different worlds, Kiran. With all due respect, we don't need another. We  _will_  protect you."

"Okay, okay," he said, holding up his hands in surrender. "I understand."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She let go of him, finally. "Good. Our tactician needs to focus on tactics, Kiran. There are things more important than personal pride."

He nodded, feeling a bit embarrassed now. "Yeah, I understand."

She smiled at him. "Did you need anything else from me?"

Kiran shook his head. "Not right now," and got up to leave. "Maybe later, though."

She watched him go. He stopped at the door. "Wait... there is one other thing I wanted to tell you."

Eirika watched him curiously.

"Thanks for telling me that. I really needed to hear it." He debated with himself for a second before blurting out the second part. "I think you'd make a good mother."

With that, he left the room before anything more could be said.


	8. Julius

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who was worried, I don't intend to just end this story completely. The problem is, now that I'm out of school for the year, and I have work to deal with (night shift, y'know), I've got less time than ever to actually do any writing. And it doesn't help that I keep buying new games to fill my time with anyway.
> 
> So if there's anyone still following this, I'd like to deeply apologize for the wait, the quality of the last chapter, and what's almost certainly going to be another long wait between chapters. I'm trying to make time for this story (and bouncing around some ideas in my head for a couple of others, as usual), but it never feels like enough. So I'm really sorry.
> 
> On a lighter note, I'm pretty proud of this one. I really hope you all enjoy.

_Thwack_.

Kiran swore loudly, then slapped one hand over his mouth. The other one went to his head, where a lump was forming.

In the dim light, he could  _just_  make out the edge of his desk hanging over the edge of his bed. He must've hit his head on it when he sat up. Gods, he needed a bigger room. The lack of space was getting bad for his health.

He stayed in his bed for a little while, nursing his injury, before forcing himself to get up. He was wide awake anyway.

Opening the door, he found exactly what he expected - it was the middle of the night. Kiran sighed. He had to make sure to get his rest now - the Order couldn't afford to lose its tactician - so he told himself he wouldn't stay up too long. A midnight snack was in order, then back to bed.

He started making his way to the mess hall. Moments like this didn't come very often; Kiran was usually a very deep sleeper, and didn't get much chance to see the Order's headquarters at night. He enjoyed it all the same, however. It was very quiet, compared to the usual hustle and bustle of the many warriors going about their business. He knew that some of the Heroes were night owls, and others never seemed to sleep at all - Odin and Arthur in particular leaned toward that latter category - but even despite that, he rarely happened across another person at night.

Kiran didn't mind. He didn't get time for himself very often, so he cherished the moments when they came.

He was about to step into the mess hall when he heard a noise. He briefly considered ignoring it, but decided against that course of action.

He wandered around for a little longer, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise, and eventually found himself at the training grounds. The area glowed with a blue light as divine lightning struck from nowhere. Kiran wandered toward the source.

It was as he expected; there was a midnight sparring session going on. He had a hunch about who it was, and hung back to observe.

The brilliant flashes of lightning continued to appear for several more minutes, firing from different directions, until things finally quieted down. He could hear conversation approaching him, from a man and a woman.

He waited until they were close enough to hear him, then said "couldn't sleep?"

There was a small gasp and a quiet yelp of surprise before a smooth female voice said "Summoner? Is that you?"

A moment later, the immediate area was lit up with a flickering light, and Kiran could make out the profiles of Reinhardt and Ishtar. The Goddess of Thunder had a crackling ball of lightning in her hand and a perturbed expression on her face.

"Were you following us?" she asked.

Kiran shook his head, and beckoned them to walk with him back into the building. "Nah, just happened to find myself out here. Why are you training so late at night?"

They walked. "I thought it would be a good idea to work on honing my senses in the dark," Ishtar explained. "I must prepare for all combat scenarios, and Sir Reinhardt graciously offered to help me."

Kiran looked back at the mage knight, who seemed to have the faintest hint of a blush on his face. "Well, wasn't that nice of him."

"Lady Ishtar's wish is my command," Reinhardt replied, somewhat stiffly. "It is but my humble duty." There was a short pause before he changed the subject. "What were  _you_  doing out this late, Kiran?"

Ishtar gave him a sideways look, but said nothing as Kiran recounted his little story. "I'm about to make my way to the mess hall now. You two should get off to bed."

"I would say that you need the sleep more than either of us, Summoner," Ishtar replied, but she couldn't quite stifle the yawn that came afterward. Kiran chuckled.

"I know, I know. One little snack and I'll go right back to bed," he assured. "I'll see you both in the morning."

Ishtar nodded, then turned back to the mage knight. "I am grateful for your help, Sir Reinhardt."

The knight lowered himself into a deep bow. "Of course, milady."

The Goddess of Thunder turned, stretched, and walked off. Kiran and Reinhardt watched her go until she extinguished the light in her palm, leaving the hall in darkness once more.

"She's very dedicated," Kiran noted.

"Yes, she is that."

"Quite the looker, too."

Silence.

"Reinhardt?"

"It is not my place to think of my liege in such a way, Kiran."

The summoner smirked. Reinhardt's voice sounded no different from usual, but Kiran had a hunch that if his face was visible, it would be a deeper shade of red than it normally was.

"And what of Princess Eirika?" he continued. "What would she say if she knew you were thinking like this?"

"Oh, don't be silly," Kiran replied, somewhat defensively. "A good friend of mine once told me that you can admire the lake without wanting to swim in it."

Reinhardt made a very uncharacteristic sound; if Kiran had to place it, he would say it was probably a snort of laughter.

"Anyway, I'm off," he continued. "To bed with you, Reinhardt."

"Of course, Kiran."

His footsteps sounded until they were too faint for Kiran to hear anymore. With that, he returned to his trip toward the mess hall.

{asterisks}

He woke up the next morning later than usual, which was a small mercy, but with a splitting headache, which was not. The lump on his head had gotten much, much worse. He grunted in pain, and considered staying inside - but it was a futile thought. There was work to be done. And if he didn't get himself out of bed, then-

"Kiran!"

There was a voice he recognized. "Morning... Commander Anna," he groaned. "What can I do for you?"

"You can get out of bed is what!" she cried. "People are waiting to see you!" Her voice softened a little now. "It isn't like you to sleep this late, Kiran. Is something wrong?"

He finally forced himself to sit up in his bed, rubbing his eyes at the light streaming into his room, and took a look at the commander. What he saw nearly caused him to burst out laughing.

"Commander?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you covering your eyes? And blushing?"

She paused, and what little he could see of her face grew annoyed. "I don't know how you sleep, Kiran! And I'd rather not see something I shouldn't!"

That did elicit a short laugh, and a wince of pain. "You can open your eyes. I'm decent."

She did so, hands going to her hips instead, and waited for an answer. Kiran sighed. "Nothing's wrong," he said. "I got up in the middle of the night, and it took me a while to get back to sleep."

She watched him carefully. "You're bleeding."

He blinked. "Huh?"

She leaned forward, and prodded his forehead. Kiran winced as her fingertip came away with a spot of scarlet. "Right there. Doesn't look too serious, but I'm not much of a healer. What happened?"

"Desk," he grunted in response. "I feel fine. Gimme a sec to get ready, or else you really will see something you shouldn't."

She huffed. "You are one of the most thoroughly infuriating men that I've ever met, Kiran."

Kiran gave her a little grin that he didn't quite feel as she walked out of the room, and he started to get dressed for the day.

He was pulling on his trusty white robe - clean, pristine, and replaced since the last one was scorched to near ashes - as he left the room, and almost immediately ran into Alfonse.

"Ah, Summoner," the prince greeted, and they both went right back into the room. "Just who I wanted to see. I was wondering..."

It was the usual concerns about lodging; the Order was full to bursting as it was. When he first arrived, he'd pictured a magical building that would have more rooms as more residents arrived, and indeed, it had certainly seemed that way with the sheer size of the building. There was more room than they knew what to do with at first. As more Heroes arrived, however, things were getting more and more cramped.

Most were staying at least two to a room - not a problem for the most part, since the Heroes could bunk with others from their own world. Kiran was one of the few who still had a room themselves, but it didn't seem that that would last. It wasn't quite every day anymore, but new Heroes still arrived every once in a while - faster than new accommodations could be made, for sure.

So they had taken it upon themselves to allow for more room. Between battles, the Heroes worked on adding new lodgings to the Order's headquarters. It was a job that was likely to never be finished in full, but it provided work for those warriors who couldn't stand to be idle for too long. In particular, Dorcas and Bartre had attacked the job with great gusto, and had already finished six new rooms working together.

The reason Alfonse wanted to see him was to try and work out where else they could place more rooms. They hadn't attempted anything on the upper floors of the building yet, and he thought it was a good time to start, since too much focus on the ground floor would make the building wider than it was tall.

"No, no, that won't do," Kiran said, looking at the diagram of the headquarters that Alfonse had brought with him. "We need to keep it localized as much as possible." He pointed at the second floor. "Maybe some here, but if we make it too top-heavy, the whole place'll collapse."

Alfonse looked pained. "Summoner, please. We're running out of space on the lower levels. We've no choice but to build it upwards."

Kiran put one hand on his chin, eyes darting all across the diagram, and tried to think of a solution when he heard a voice from behind him.

"Summoner."

He jumped, clutching his chest, and looked around. Arvis was standing behind them.

"Am I interrupting? My apologies," he said.

"No, no, nothing of the sort," Kiran replied.  _No one knows how to knock in this place..._ "What d'you need?"

"I had some questions I needed to ask you," Arvis explained. "But I can return-"

Kiran waved his hand flippantly. "Don't worry about it." He turned back to Alfonse. "We have all the time in the world to work things out. Can we discuss this later?"

Alfonse nodded dutifully - Kiran couldn't help but think how strange that was, for a prince to be answering to someone like him - and left the room. Kiran graciously followed, glad to be out, and turned to the Emperor of Flame.

"Shall we walk?" Arvis asked. Kiran gratefully accepted the offer, and they strolled through the halls.

"What's the matter?" Kiran asked.

"I simply had some questions for you," Arvis told him. "Namely, about your summoning. Do you know from what world you summon the Heroes from?"

Kiran blinked. A simple matter, of course, and it made sense for Arvis to be curious, but it still caught him off guard. "Once they arrive, yeah. I mean, I know all their histories. Once I get a good look, and they introduce themselves, I can tell. Why?"

The emperor ignored the question. "And how is it decided who you summon?"

Kiran narrowed his eyes, but continued. "No clue. I just fire Breidablik and see what happens. Why do you ask?"

Arvis still didn't answer, and appeared in deep thought. Kiran snapped his fingers in front of his face. "Arvis. Why do you want to know?"

Arvis finally looked at him. "Ah... forgive me, Kiran. I've been thinking..."

He trailed off. Kiran sighed impatiently. "You've been thinking...?"

Arvis pursed his lips. "I have thanked you in the past for bringing me here, and reuniting me with my family, Kiran. I have seen my daughter, and Deirdre, when I thought I never would again, and it feels as though I've been blessed because of you. I could not be more grateful. But I must know..."

The Emperor of Flame put one hand on Kiran's shoulder and spoke in an urgent whisper. "Where is my son, Kiran?  _Where is Julius?_ "

There was something hard in his eyes. Kiran stared him down. "I'm sorry, Arvis. I don't know."

Arvis' crimson hair had fallen around his face a bit, and he gritted his teeth. After a moment, he pulled back and composed himself. "Forgive me, Kiran. I simply..."

Kiran shook his head. "Nah, I understand," he said seriously. "He's still family. And hey, summoning's not the only way I find new Heroes, right? Just look at how you joined us. I'll keep my eyes and ears open for him."

The emperor looked grateful. "Thank you. It seems I am once again in your debt."

"You can thank me when we find him," Kiran replied.

Arvis inclined his head, and walked off.

{asterisks}

_It is known that after a long, arduous battle against the Grannvale Empire, Prince Seliph's liberation army marched across the kingdom toward Castle Belhalla, across the same land where his father lost his life nearly two decades prior. His army faced and defeated the enigmatic Deadlords before moving on to Prince Julius himself; however, reports of this battle are unreliable, and it is unknown who dealt the final blow. But what is universally agreed upon is that the strength of the Twelve Crusaders stood with Prince Seliph that day._

_This was known as the end of the Loptous Cult. Although other factions were known to exist, such as the Schwarze Rosen, based in Thracia, they quickly collapsed upon the deaths of Bishop Manfroy and Prince Julius. In particular, Bishop Veld of the aforementioned Schwarze Rosen was defeated by-_

"Kiran!"

The summoner yelped, and slammed the thick tome shut. A cloud of dust shot out and he coughed several times.

Matthew stood behind him, looking a little sheepish. "Sorry. I've been calling after you for a while, but you didn't say anything."

Kiran clutched his chest, waiting for his heart to stop pounding. "Damn... it's fine. What do you need?"

"Sothe had something to tell you, so we started lookin' around," the thief said. "We can wait for him in the main hall."

And so they walked. Kiran's mind was still in the book that he was perusing. He'd been trying to read up a bit on Julius after Arvis had expressed his interest.

He'd known some things already, of course, but only a basic understanding. Julius seemed like a force to be reckoned with, and not anyone who would want to join the Order. In Kiran's opinion, Arvis was setting himself up for failure. But he still wanted to try, for his sake. It was worth a shot.

Before he knew it, they'd arrived in the main hall. Kiran suddenly wished he'd brought the book with him. He couldn't stand waiting.

To that end, he got up and paced a bit. He focused his eyes on anything even remotely interesting - the view out the window, a funny pattern in the stone on the walls - and tried to keep his mind occupied.

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long. Sothe showed up a few minutes later. Kiran greeted him, and the young thief delivered his report.

"Same spot as usual," he began. "There's an unfamiliar face in the northeastern reaches."

Kiran hummed. "Can you describe him?"

"Well, he looked quite a bit like Arvis," Sothe said. Kiran blinked in surprise, but motioned for him to keep going. "He had some pretty nice robes, and his hair was bright red. He had a tome, too, but I didn't get a good look at it."

 _Well, that was fast,_  Kiran thought, but as usual, he chose not to question fate.

"That's good to know," the summoner said with a nod. He thought for a moment, and then motioned for Matthew to come over as well. "I want you two to round up Arvis, Ishtar, Reinhardt, and Julia for me. We're moving out as soon as possible."

{asterisks}

The journey was made in silence.

It wasn't uncommon to have a bit of banter among the party under normal circumstances, but everyone knew what they were to do today. The tension was palpable.

Kiran hated it. He tried to think of something that he could use to start a conversation - he had to get his mind off of just how nervous he was.

"What are we up against, Arvis?" he asked.

The Emperor of Flame had a hardened look on his face. "Julius uses the power of the Loptous tome. To my knowledge, he's the only one who can wield it. Just by holding it, most attacks have little to no effect on him."

Kiran pondered that. "Most?"

"The Book of Naga is the only known way to counter this effect," Arvis continued. "With enough time, it's possible that he could be defeated with another weapon, but it's unlikely. And even Naga won't ensure victory."

Kiran nodded. "It's a good thing we have everyone here, then."

Arvis said nothing.

Several more minutes passed in silence before they arrived at a wide clearing. There was a lake off to one side, and a bridge under their feet. Kiran looked across the way and saw...

Well, he saw  _someone_ , but it sure wasn't Julius.

In fact, he didn't recognize this person at all, but he could see why Sothe's description led him to believe it was Julius. He definitely bore a striking resemblance to Arvis, and he wore some rather nice robes - however, these weren't the same regal, flowing robes that he had come to expect from royalty, but a simpler and less elaborate piece that he associated with religious figures.

He was just about to ask the person who he was, but Reinhardt beat him to it.

"Bishop Saias?"

"You know him, Reinhardt?" Kiran asked. He recognized the name, at least. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Arvis' face turn stark white.

"Yes, I was acquainted with him for some time while I was in the service of Friege," the mage knight responded. He called out again. "Bishop Saias, is that you?"

The young man facing them finally seemed to take notice, and gave the group a warm smile. "Well met, Sir Reinhardt." He moved to close the distance between them, and Kiran's group stepped forward to meet him. Arvis lagged behind a little.

Before saying anything else, however, Saias turned back toward the nameless warriors behind him. "Your services are no longer needed. Thank you."

They disappeared. No flash of light or puff of smoke, they just vanished, leaving no trace that they were ever there. Kiran was a little disappointed.

He hung back a bit and watched as Reinhardt introduced Ishtar and Julia to Saias. Arvis stood a few feet away, chewing his lip and watching them.

Pieces started to fall together in his mind, but he didn't say anything to him yet. Instead, he stepped forward and stuck out one hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Saias," he said. "My name is Kiran. I'm the summoner and tactician for the Order of Heroes."

The bishop's eyebrows raised. "A tactician, you say? Interesting."

Reinhardt had a grin on his face - it might've been the happiest Kiran had seen him. "Ah, yes, Bishop Saias is quite the skilled tactician as well, Kiran. He is known as one of the greatest minds in all of Jugdral!"

The bishop raised one hand. "You flatter me, Sir Reinhardt."

Kiran shot a look backward. "There's one more member of our group here, Saias. Would you like to meet him?"

"Of course."

Kiran gestured for Arvis to step forward, and he did - but it was very reluctantly. Saias traded a look with him, and his face turned unreadable.

"This is Emperor Arvis," Kiran introduced. "I'm sure you're quite familiar with him."

"I am," Saias said. He kept watching the Emperor of Flame. "Hello... Father."

The other three Heroes looked astonished. Arvis seemed to be struggling for a response.

At this, Kiran decided he'd suffered long enough, and got Saias' attention again. "Now, if you don't mind, I've got a proposition for you..."

{asterisks}

And that was that. Saias was more than willing to join the Order after Kiran made his pitch. He wasn't Julius, but the summoner didn't mind that much - on the contrary, he was glad he wouldn't have to figure out a pitch for the young prince, once he inevitably arrived.

The conversation on the way back was polite and friendly, and mostly kept between Reinhardt and Saias himself. Ishtar and Julia watched with pleasant smiles, but Julia occasionally tossed worried looks back at Arvis.

Kiran was walking next to the Emperor of Flame, behind the rest of the group. He tried to start conversation himself a few times, but Arvis seemed determined to ignore him.

When they returned to the Order, Saias was very quickly greeted by Leif and Seliph, who both seemed quite glad to see him, and while everyone seemed to be occupied, Arvis tried to slip away through a side hallway.

Kiran wasn't about to let him get away that easily, and followed. Unbeknownst to him, someone else did as well.

"Arvis!" Kiran called, hurrying to catch up. Arvis walked faster. "Dammit, get back here!"

"I wish to be alone," the Emperor told him without stopping. He rounded a corner. Kiran kept giving chase.

"You have to-"

" _LEAVE ME_ , I SAID!" Arvis bellowed suddenly. "WHEN YOUR EMPEROR GIVES YOU AN ORDER, YOU  _FOLLOW IT_ , YOU DAMNABLE FOOL!"

Kiran stopped in his tracks, eyes widening. To say that Arvis was angry would be an understatement. The emperor was a presence, to the point that he almost seemed to grow taller as he yelled. A flickering aura of flame suddenly came into existence around his body, and Arvis didn't even seem to notice.

He stepped back toward Kiran, face twisted in rage, when there was a small voice from behind them.

"Father...?"

Kiran's head whipped around, and he saw Julia standing there, looking quite fearful. Arvis looked past him at her, and his expression changed to one of shame almost immediately. The fiery aura disappeared, and he reached out one hand.

"Julia-"

But she had already run off. Arvis took a step as though he would chase her, but simply bowed his head and covered his face with his hands. Kiran took a hesitant step toward him, then another when there was no response.

When he was at Arvis' side, the Emperor of Flame finally spoke. "I thought I told you to leave me." His voice sounded lifeless.

"You did," Kiran responded. "But any idiot can tell there's something you need to get off your chest."

Arvis nodded miserably. "I never... I didn't expect to see Saias again for a long time..."

"Let's find a spot to sit down and you can tell me all about it," Kiran said.

It took a second, but Arvis drew himself back up to his full height, and the pair walked.

They found a stone bench just outside the Order's largest garden, and sat.

"I want your word that you will tell no one what I am about to tell you," Arvis said quietly.

"Of course," Kiran said. "This'll stay between us."

The Emperor of Flame took a deep breath. "Thank you."

Kiran thought about what to ask first, and eventually decided on "I thought you only had two kids."

"So did everyone else," Arvis responded. "Saias was always meant to be kept a secret from everyone."

"Why's that?"

"He is not Deirdre's son."

Kiran's eyebrows shot up. "He's illegitimate?"

The Emperor nodded. "You must understand, Kiran... When I became the duke of Velthomer, the only goal I had was to be  _nothing_  like my father."

"I thought you wanted to end the prosecution of Loptous' descendants."

Arvis gave him an annoyed look. "Do you know how old I was when my father died?"

Kiran thought. "Eight?"

"Correct. I was a child. When I was eight years old, I don't think I even knew about my true heritage. I was well-educated, to be certain, but I was still a child, and cared little for politics. But I knew exactly how much I resented my father. I swore when I took the throne that I would be  _nothing_  like him."

Kiran nodded along. "Sure, I understand that. But then, why'd you have Saias?"

The emperor sighed. "Manfroy came to me some time before the war began. He said he knew of my heritage, and wished to help me achieve my goal of peace for Jugdral. I didn't trust him, but he threatened to reveal my secret, so... I had no choice but to work with him. He told me that he desired a child with the holy blood of both Fjalar and Loptous running through his veins."

"Which was Julius."

"Do you know the distinction between major and minor descendants of the Twelve Crusaders, Kiran?"

"Sure," he replied. "Major descendants can wield the holy weapons. Like how you can use Valflame, since you're a major descendant of Fjalar."

"Yes," Arvis confirmed. "Manfroy wanted a child who was a major descendant of both Fjalar and Loptous, so he could wield both Valflame and the Loptous tome. But I didn't want to give him that kind of power, which is why Saias was born."

Comprehension dawned on Kiran's face. "And since only the first born child of a generation inherits major blood..."

"...Saias could wield Valflame, but not Loptous," Arvis finished. "And Manfroy wouldn't get what he wanted."

"So you had a child out of wedlock in order to try and foil Manfroy," Kiran mused. "Clever. Who's his mother?"

"Aida, my friend and confidant," the emperor replied. "There was no one else I could trust more."

Kiran whistled. "Can't say I expected all this."

"I knew Manfroy would be furious if he learned of Saias' existence, so I concealed him in Velthomer for as long as I could before accompanying Aida to a small village, far away from there," Arvis continued. "I instructed her to protect him before I returned to Velthomer."

"And that would've been... after the Battle of Belhalla?" Kiran guessed.

"Yes, about three days after," Arvis confirmed. "That was the last time I saw Aida. I know little of what happened to them afterward."

There was silence for a moment. "That's quite the story."

Arvis cracked a slight smile. "My family tends to be."

Kiran chuckled at that. "So... what's stopping you from talking to Saias now?"

The Emperor of Flame sighed. "Because... to me, he is the living reminder of the failure to achieve my goal. A necessity though he was, Saias is still living proof that I... am not completely distinct from my father. And it is a source of great shame to me."

Kiran blinked. "Wait. What?"

"I cannot help but feel that-"

The summoner held up one hand. "Stop. You're kidding, right?"

Arvis blinked. "To what do you refer?"

Kiran stared for a moment, and then chuckled bitterly. "Oh, gods, he's serious..." he said to himself. "Are you listening to yourself right now, Arvis? Did you actually hear  _anything_  you just said?"

The emperor just looked at him with a blank expression on his face.

"I can't believe I actually have to explain this to you," Kiran said. "For all the impressive shit you've done, you can be really dense sometimes, Arvis."

"To what do you-"

"He's your damn  _child_ , you idiot!" Kiran said accusingly.

"You dare-"

"Shut up and listen to me for a sec!" the summoner commanded. "Saias isn't a 'necessity,' he's not a 'source of shame,' he's a  _human being_!"

Arvis stared with wide eyes. Kiran took a breath, and forced himself to calm down a bit. "Okay. I understand wanting to distance yourself from your father. Really, I do. He was a piece of work. But whatever you think of your decision to have Saias doesn't change the fact that he's still your  _child_."

"Kiran-"

"Let me finish, please," Kiran requested. "If it were a matter of not knowing what to say to him after you've spent so many years apart, I could understand that. But the fact that you view your own child as a source of shame to you is... it's just  _awful_ , Arvis. You need to talk to him."

Arvis pursed his lips, and was silent for several seconds. "You're right, of course," he said quietly. "But what am I to say?"

"It doesn't have to be fancy," Kiran told him. "Just tell him that you love him. Promise you'll spend time with him when you get the chance. Just be a dad, Arvis. It's not like you don't have any experience there."

The Emperor of Flame closed his eyes. He took a breath. And he nodded.

"C'mon, then," Kiran said. "Let's find Saias."

And so they walked. It took a few minutes of searching and asking around, but they did eventually find Saias. He was still talking to Leif.

Kiran gave Arvis a little push, and the Emperor stepped forward, clearing his throat to get his son's attention. Saias turned and looked at him, expression unreadable.

Arvis cleared his throat again, and spoke with some difficulty. "Saias, I... I wish to apologize for my earlier behavior. I was wrong to treat you the way I have, and... I wish for you to understand that I love you, and... I am proud to call you my son."

Saias didn't say a word. He just looked Arvis in the eye, and for a second Kiran thought he said something wrong.

But then the bishop stepped forward and embraced him, holding Arvis in a tight hug. "I love you too, Father," he said, voice cracking. Arvis hesitated for just a moment before wrapping his arms around his son.

Kiran couldn't help but smile.


End file.
